Duality Complex
by Tr3adst0ne
Summary: Area 11 becomes a battleground in the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. *Chapter 35 preview*
1. Prologue

**Duality Complex**

**A Transformers/Code Geass crossover  
Story written by Tr3adst0ne**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language. (additional content possibly to follow) **

**A brief introduction into the timeline before the events of Duality Complex began.  
**

* * *

**  
Prologue**

They first arrived on Earth in 1986, hiding among us in plain sight. Giant sentient machines capable of changing shape and size at a whim. The battles that they fought were waged in secret, every continent a playing field. Ever since the war between the Decepticons and the Autobots began, they have traveled far from the planet Cybertron and battled in an endless struggle for survival.

When they discovered a new variant of energon on Earth, the scope of their conflict changed drastically. Their war on this planet lasted for more than a decade, and claimed more lives than we could begin to fathom.

Of course, I was just a technical writer at the time before they fought more openly. I, along with many others were oblivious to their existence until they started showing up all over the world. They fought regardless of the consequences or the damage that would ensue. To everyone they were were the same: aliens fighting for a world which they intended to turn into a mining colony. Until we realized (albeit slowly) that the Autobots were trying to protect us. Our common sense finally overrode our fears, and we formed a non-aggression pact with them.

The eventual victory against the forces led by Megatron proved fleeting and costly. Many of us and our alien allies fell in the face of the onslaught which the Decepticons unleashed. Cities and populations were decimated across the planet, and left much of the Earth in ruins. Since then several of the Autobots took refuge amongst our population in secret, and co-existed with our race on good terms despite the massive anti-alien sentiment mounted against them.

Now both factions are scattered across the galaxy, peace has finally settled. Ever since the war ended one would beg the question: did we truly save the Earth and the our people from the threat of annihilation? Or is there a greater test ahead of us that will determine the shape of things to come?

- Lt. Commander Spike Witwicky, US Navy in 2006


	2. Primary Cast of Characters

**Duality Complex**

2010 CE – More than four years have passed since the Autobots last fought the Decepticon army led by Megatron, the Earth left in ruins in the wake of the conflict between the two ancient factions. Since that time, the humans focused their energies on the reconstruction efforts of their world with the help of Optimus Prime and his troops. The peace didn't last however, as their enemies founded an opportunity to steal an object of vital importance under their care.

An expedition of Autobots and their American allies are dispatched to pursue them. Little did they know that the spark of war that began four million years ago would be re-ignited in an alternate Earth, on an outlying colony called Area 11, formerly known as "Japan". It is there that their fates will be intertwined not only against the Decepticons, but also against another ruthless nation called the Holy Empire of Britannia.

* * *

_**Primary Cast of Characters**_

OPTIMUS PRIME – Commander, leader of all Autobot forces

PROWL – Deputy Commander, chief military strategist and leader of the Autobot/human joint expedition

JAZZ – Lieutenant, head of the Autobot Special Operations division and expedition co-leader

SPIKE WITWICKY – U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, chief liaison of the National Security Agency sub-branch Third Echelon and expedition co-leader

NIGHTBEAT – Detective, a police specialist sent to help in the search for the stolen Golden Disk

SIDESWIPE – Operative, a soldier who excels in hand-to-hand combat like his twin Sunstreaker

MEGATRON – Warlord, leader of the Decepticons

THOMAS ARKEVILLE – Rogue CIA officer, former chief of the CIA cybernetics bureau

STARSCREAM – Aerospace Commander, second-in-command of the Decepticon forces

LELOUCH LAMPEROUGE – Britannian ex-prince, leads the Black Knights as the masked vigilante Zero

KALLEN STADTFELD – A Britannian/Japanese half-breed, pilot of the Guren Mk. II and captain of Zero's personal guard

CORNELIA LI BRITANNIA – Britannian princess, viceroy of Area 11

SUZAKU KURURUGI – Warrant Officer, test pilot of the experimental Knightmare Frame Lancelot


	3. Chapter 01 Opening Movements

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. **

**The Autobots and humans launch a joint expedition to retrieve an artifact of great power. One that could threaten the existence of life as they knew it. **

Story Note: I decided to make this fic AU, since the boys from G1 coincides with some of Code Geass' canon. Whether I intend to push it in that direction with the latter's chronological events depends on how I develop it. It gives me a little more literary freedom. Aside from that, this chapter takes place during episodes 1-3 of Code Geass R1.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Opening Movements**

**Outer City Limits  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11******

Jazz and Prowl were the first two mechs that stepped through the transwarp portal. Both officers braced themselves as they made their landing outside of the swirling nether. Prowl's optics turned into narrow slits as he peered at the horizon beyond the landing site. Piles of debris and burnt rubble were scattered across the landscape.

"Is this the place?"

"Yep. Quantum energy signature matches what's on my scanner," Jazz tapped on the side of his head visor for emphasis with a smile.

Behind them the portal began to show signs of dissipation.

"We better move. Let's deploy the relay posts," Prowl suggested.

Jazz nodded and pulled a small metallic canister that was seated within his back storage compartment. He clicked a button on the round object, where it extended into a silver rod approximately five meters tall. The two Autobots quickly went to work to set up the other posts that would stabilize the exit/entry point into this universe. Inter-dimensional transwarp portals had a tendency to be an unstable means of travel. This was the first instance in which the Autobots and humans have managed to successfully cross into another reality in a safe and controlled fashion.

Soon after, Spike Witwicky exited the portal with due haste. His body felt strange, his mind slightly dazed after having traveled through an alien anomaly for the first time. Though he admitted quietly to himself that it was a unique experience in and of itself. He clicked on the side of his helmet, where an audible hiss was heard. He took it off and exhaled as he spent a moment to enjoy the fresh air. The Navy SEAL brushed through his brown mane as he looked on in curiosity.

Other members of the expedition materialized soon after his arrival. Chip, Marissa, and a group of personnel consisting of researchers, technicians, and government agents. All of them wore the same type of protective suit when Spike first entered the rift. Soon after, they quickly slipped out of their gear and took in fresh air. Chip nearly collapsed on the deck as he braced himself with his arms and hurled on the concrete.

"Ugh, that was... not cool..."

"Take it easy, Chip. I told you that you shouldn't have had those tacos last night," Marissa smiled warmly.

"Working overtime does that to me. I had to make do," Chip answered weakly. The intelligence analyst's less than impressive physical condition referred to the fact that he hadn't had anything to eat before yesterday. He worked on numerous reports that he had to give to his NSA superiors before he departed on his mission.

Marissa tried to suppress her laughter, but her resistance broke down as she gave a light chuckle and shook her head.

"Come on, tiger. We got work to do."

Marissa offered a hand to her co-worker as she propped him up back to his feet. Ironhide came along from the rear alongside four other Autobots. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the last to exit out of the portal before they shut it down. The twins remained steadfast, alert for any signs of unusual activity. Ironhide broke off from the group and transformed into his vehicle mode.

"Prowl, I'm going to do some checkin' on the local environment and take a look around for a few cycles," Ironhide called in.

"Stay sharp. We don't know what we're dealing with here," Prowl advised.

"Will do," the chief security officer replied.

As soon as Ironhide departed the scene, Prowl turned and glanced at the scene around them again.

"Well, obviously this place is Earth. The question is: where and when?" Jazz said. The special ops agent tilted his head left and right and recognized that much of the gray ruined cityscape was man-made in construction. Remnants of wrecked civilian and highly advanced military vehicles with strange configurations were scattered across the terrain.

"We'll find out soon enough. For now, let's focus on moving the equipment and find a place where we can set temporarily ourselves up," Prowl said.

Jazz nodded in agreement. "Ditto. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, move ahead west of our current position a couple of clicks and conduct some recon. Check for any abandoned structure that's within proximity of the landing site so we can set ourselves up."

"You got it," Sunstreaker replied. Jazz confided in the twins' ability to do what was required of them. In spite of their different backgrounds, the three Autobots had served on many missions together. It was easy for the trio to get along since Jazz was not only likable, he shared similar origins with the two brothers, having come from the slums of Cybertron like they did. They had all come far since they first met, since he knew the pair to be quite a handful of trouble. But then again, Jazz was as guilty as the twins when it came to pulling pranks from time to time. When it got down to dealing with the Decepticons, all three would fight alongside their comrades and give it their all.

Meanwhile, as the two siblings sped away, the human and Autobot leaders occupied themselves in accounting their personnel and equipment. Trailbreaker altered himself into robot mode and sauntered towards Prowl and Jazz. He pointed his thumb behind him as he gestured towards the steel crates containing their weapons and support equipment. Human personnel swarmed around the containers as they sifted through their checklists before they inspected the contents of their precious cargo.

"All crates are accounted for, Prowl," the taller Cybertronian said.

"Good. As soon as we're done checking up on our equipment we're moving out. How are the cloak generators?"

"They're intact, for the moment. It looks like the trip through the rift didn't give them the work over like it did for some of the humans."

"Hmm," Prowl replied with a nod from his head.

Trailbreaker scanned the horizons for any notable sources of energy. "We'll need to seek out means on which to continue to power ourselves with energon."

"Once Ironhide and the twins finish their recon we''ll see what we can find. For now we'll improvise with what we've got," Prowl finished before he turned to Jazz.

"You know, this looks funny. What happened to the local population? More importantly, what happened to the city?" the spec ops lieutenant interjected.

"I don't know, though from the looks of it I figure there was some kind of shooting war," Prowl surmised.

The conference between the three was cut short by Ironhide, who contacted Jazz and Prowl via voice comm. His tone was grim the moment he first spoke: [Jazz, Prowl, you might want to come over to my location and take a look at this.]

"What's shaking, Ironhide?" Jazz asked as he paused from looking at his data pad.

[Just come. Bring Spike and Marissa with you.]

The worried tone in the older Autobot's voice registered in the minds of the two senior Autobot officers as something serious. Ironhide being the Autobot chief security officer, his unease was notably justified. Whatever he uncovered clearly wasn't good. Thus it warranted his concern for the rest of the expedition's safety.

"We're on our way," Prowl said as he immediately changed into his alt-mode. Jazz followed suit as both vehicles drove near the small collective of humans that were occupied with the containers. Marissa and Spike glanced at their Cybertronian companions with quizzical looks.

"What's wrong, guys?" Marissa asked.

"Ironhide founded something. From the sound of it, I figure it's something that ain't pretty," Jazz said through his vocalizer before he opened his right side door.

"Jump in, we'll head over to Ironhide's spot and see what he's found."  
_ _ _

A few blocks further into the city's outer limits, within an abandoned community center, the entourage of Autobots and humans were greeted by piles of dead bodies at their feet. All of the corpses were bloodied, each riddled with bullet holes. Inside the structure's floor shell casings were scattered all around. Spike and Marissa's eyes were at their fullest when their minds tried to take in the carnage that ensued. The former's gaze narrowed as he walked towards one of the bodies and knelt close to it. The body had a white short-sleeved shirt with khaki pants, his physical features registered Japanese origins.

"Who could've done this?" Marissa said, her mind appalled at the number of people that were slain. Such senseless murder of unarmed civilians drew up a well of anger in the NSA agent. She sought answers but where there were none to be found. Her hands curled into fists upon the sight of the dead children and the elderly.

Sideswipe strode in behind Prowl, Ironhide and Jazz. He shared in the general plight that hung in the sparks (and hearts) of everyone on site. No being deserved to be put to death the way that the civilians inside the building did. It was clear evidence that they were executed for some unknown reason. Spike stood back at full height and did a cross with his right hand, his visage one of sympathy.

"There's nothing left here. All we can do is pay our respects."

Sounds of aircraft loomed over the horizon.

Tension rose in the air when a voice broke through into Prowl's comm system.

"Prowl, this is Trailbreaker. Unidentified contacts are approaching your location. Sunstreaker's en route to my position to help relocate personnel and equipment with me and Ratchet. By Primus, they're all over the board."

"Have you identified them?"

"From the looks of it, they're humanoid machines. They're not Cybertronian, and they're definitely not friendly."

"Initiate defensive protocols. Disable them by any means necessary. I'll contact you again as soon as I can."

"Will do."

A hail of shells whizzed by in the general direction of the team. Spike and Marissa quickly dove towards the deck, their arms raised above their heads as weapons fire threatened to turn the building they occupied into wreckage. Both had their pistols drawn as the attack pushed on. In seconds the Autobots drew their weapons through reflex as they turned to face their enemies.

"What in the hell is that?!" Spike bellowed.

"Looks like we've got company!" Sideswipe added, his photon blaster blazing away at the unknown enemy.

"Ironhide, take Spike and Marissa and regroup with Trailbreaker and the others! We'll handle this!" Prowl ordered, his voice so loud that it broke through the fusillade of projectiles that seared through the air.

"They can fight too!" the security chief protested.

"That was _not_ a suggestion! If we fall, the group will need somebody to lead them in our stead. Take them and go now!"

Swarmed by armed mecha, the Autobots shifted into their vehicle forms and rode off. While Ironhide whisked away Spike and Marissa to meet up with the rest of the expedition team, Prowl conducted a scan on the terrain based on the intelligence gathered so far. His navigational instruments interfaced with Jazz and Sideswipe's sensor displays as their data maps were lit with multiple hostiles. All of them saw the same data as it changed in real time, the enemy closing in on their position like a snake tightening its grip around its prey.

[Jazz, Sideswipe, spread out. We'll disperse their fire and regroup in the east.]

[It's not looking good Prowl. They're all over us. We'll have to weave through them.]

_What are these things_? the strategist thought to himself. He would have to find out later as his mind raced to come up with measures to solve their current predicament.

Jazz's attention was occupied as he took on three of the enemy mechs. His gaze shifted as he spent a few seconds to analyze their bluish exoskeletal frames. They were about his height, and humanoid in appearance save for the bulbous mounts that were placed above their foreheads. A guess that it housed some form of optical sensor which fed information into it. What caught his interest were the mounted wheel struts that protruded from their shins. He founded them akin to roller blades, so it was safe to bet that they were highly mobile.

The special ops lieutenant brought his shoulder-mounted flamethrower to bear and immolated his attackers. A wall of flame engulfed them as the white Porsche spun and made a hasty getaway in vehicle mode. All three of the mechs were repulsed only for a moment before they shrugged off the attack and sped in high pursuit. They were caught by a barrage of missiles that Prowl launched about 150 meters away. Upon impact, the trio of machines disconnected from the torso upwards and ejected what appeared to be escape capsules for the pilots. Jazz transformed back into robot form and whistled at the debris, giving a thumbs up towards the deputy commander.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

In another block of the city Sideswipe jumped upward and slammed a knee into a blue enemy mech's head. Its sensor mount scattered into dozens of pieces. His mind ran through reflex as he anticipated the movement of another enemy as it blazed its rifle in his direction. The red twin dived towards the street and shot a retaliatory blast, striking the torso before the machine went critical and exploded.

[Sideswipe, status?]

[I'm presently engaged with a hostile. More of them on the way.]

[When you take it down, fall back and head further down the street. I have an idea.]

Sideswipe scoffed at the order but nonetheless complied. He swung a hard right hook into the unknown assailant, smashing its head sensor inward. It tried to shove its weapon into his torso to let off a few more shots. The red Autobot simply exerted his strength before he broke its arm off and swung it like a club with all his might. He utilized enough force to send the machine flying skywards as it crashed into the pavement.

[What do you want me to do?]

[There's an abandoned building about thirty meters ahead of you. Use your pile drivers to collapse its support beams. That will knock down the structure and force them to disperse. We'll be able to take them from there.]

[Got it.]

An enemy mech snuck from behind him with a knife before he locked its arm and plucked the weapon from its hand. In a swift reversal move, Sideswipe plunged the knife into the midsection of the machine that dared to strike him. Electricity arced from its metallic frame, threatening to explode at any moment. It ejected an escape module before it went critical and blew into pieces.

Afterwards Sideswipe launched into the air with his jet pack. He landed atop the abandoned structure and quickly began his task. He could only pray that Prowl's plan to segregate the enemy forces worked. His hands were replaced by his most feared weapons. Sideswipe's pile drivers were capable of turning everything that he used them on into scrap heap. No effort was spared as he executed his attack on the structure. His audio receptors caught the clunk of anchors that harpooned into the side of the building. The red Lambo twin peered to the side and spotted two enemy mecha racing quickly in his direction. Five others were en route from down below to stunt his efforts.

They arrived too late, as the abandoned structure began to buckle in on itself. Sideswipe jumped and landed into an empty street as the building felled into the adjacent city intersection. The hostile mecha withdrew and attempted to escape before he took them down one by one. As the fighting continued, a voice boomed that penetrated the air. Whoever the person was that spoke through the PA system was young, but possessed an air of authority in his tone.

"_Attention: all forces!_"

The red twin turned towards the direction where the interruption originated. "What in the Inferno...?"

"_Cease fire at once! I, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area 11, hereby __command you. All forces are ordered to cease fire at once! You will also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered: cease fire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!"_

"Hmph. I suppose that doesn't include us in the equation," Sideswipe said. The red Lambo twin reverted into his vehicle form. He shifted gears and rode off at best speed, hoping that the others managed to survive the ordeal.  
_ _ _

The congregation of Autobot and American operatives stood together as they regrouped. Thankfully no one in their group died, but many expressed looks of confusion and concern. Whoever controlled this area ruled it with an iron fist. It was only coincidence that spared them from death. Sunstreaker brushed his hands as he attempted to shake the wires and scraps of debris that coated his fists.

_Served them right for trying to take on the likes of me_, he thought coldly of the lifeless machines.

Ironhide walked towards the expedition team where he holstered his weapon and crossed his arms.

"They withdrew," the security chief pointed out.

"It wasn't because we managed to ward them off. They had us outnumbered in droves," Trailbreaker added.

"Someone ordered them to retreat," a voice interrupted. It was the familiar black and white figure of Prowl. "There was another battle nearby, towards the city's inner recesses. Whoever this Prince Clovis is, it's a good bet that he's in charge of this 'Area 11'. I'm sure all of you know that these machines were piloted by humans. If there are any survivors, find them. We also need to find out whatever information that we can and see if we can find this Clovis as well."

"And if we don't?" Ironhide asked.

"Then we'll pull out and relocate elsewhere," Prowl answered.

"I think we have a breakthrough folks," Jazz buzzed, his voice only partially clear due to the static that interfered with the line. "Come on up, Spike founded someone that may be able to talk."  
_ _ _

Jazz and Spike stood in close proximity to a badly injured pilot of one of the enemy mecha. The blue suited operator attempted to crawl onto the terrain and grab an assault rifle before Spike kicked it away. The SEAL officer kneeled in front of the pilot, his composure cool and calm. It was time to get some answers, and Spike was not in the mood to be shot at again.

Blood trailed on the pilot's temples and mouth as he struggled to steady himself. All of the Autobots that arrived with the expedition were on site as well.

"Who are you?" Spike began.

"I know what you are," the pilot coughed as he pointed at the general direction where the Autobots stood. What Spike saw was a look of recognition. It was obvious that this man knew about the Transformers. Did it mean that humans in this reality also had knowledge of their existence?

"Don't make me repeat myself. Who are you?"

"Whatever you're here for, you're too late. Soon the Decepticons will rise up and take this world. When they're done, they will spill over to other worlds, other realities, and crush anyone who gets in their way."

Spike grabbed the operator and gritted his teeth. The pilot's defiance began to get on his nerves. His grip tightened as he tried his best effort to restrain his anger. Spike noticed that the pilot grabbed his bullet-proof vest and whispered quietly: "All Hail Britannia... All Hail Megat..."

In the man's final moments, he limped lifelessly in the SEAL's arms. Spike laid down the dead operator onto the deck and turned back to his Autobot friends. He frowned at the near mention of the Decepticon warlord. Proof enough that they held a presence in this reality.

"This is not good. If this guy knows that you exist..."

"Then it's possible that the Decepticons used the Golden Disk to alter this timeline. There's no telling how deeply entrenched they are," Prowl said.

"The question is: how much damage have they done to this reality?"

"More to the point: where do we find them?"

The more that the group dug deeper into their plight, the more questions that were raised. This mission wasn't going to end overnight. All of the senior members of the party knew there was going to be a lot of work ahead of them.

**End of Chapter 1**

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****

Author's Note:

After actually printing hard copies at the office, I took a glance at all the chapters I've written so far and knew (albeit beforehand) that all of them needed mucho editing. Unfortunately the damage is already done. XP

However, I hope for Firefox users and for future readers in general that they like the edited version, which gives off a slightly cleaner look than when it first appeared.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to give my thanks to all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	4. Chapter 02 Second Skin

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence, language and light drug use. **

**Wheeljack brings some new toys for use in the expedition's infiltration endeavors. **

Story Note: This chapter takes place during episode 4 of Code Geass R1. ****

* * *

****

**Chapter 2: Second Skin**

**Autobot Outpost  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11**

After the Autobots' first encounter with Britannian forces in the outer limits days ago, they immediately established a temporary base within the confines of a massive abandoned garage. Since the original landing site was deemed too exposed, Prowl and Jazz decided that they would have to set up the exit point in the back of the garage so that the passage of additional personnel and equipment would go unhindered. Thankfully the structure was spacious enough to fit all occupants of the team, since it was linked to an adjacent car factory which gave them more freedom in their setup.

Meanwhile, Ratchet occupied himself in another space of the outpost as he studied the dead carcass of the Britannian mecha pilot with machine-like precision. Medical scalpels that protruded from his arms poked and prodded into every crevice of the corpse. The chief medical officer held an eerie suspicion that there was something familiar about the man. He just quite couldn't put his finger on it. His medical scanner analyzed every pore and cell, searching for any patterns that separated the unusual from the norm. Ratchet's optics eyed the instrument carefully until he spotted something peculiar in the operator's DNA sequence.

"Hmm. Um-hmm. Just as I thought."

The CMO dared not to waste another second and tapped into his voice comm via his cerebral processor.

[Prowl, I took a look at our dead friend here and he is what you suspected him to be.]

[Do you have the results?]

[I have already forwarded the relevant items to your data pad.]

A temporary pause took hold as Prowl gave his reply.

[Primus. If there's one, there's bound to be more.]

[With the Decepticon infiltration protocol that is likely.]

[I'll contact Optimus and give him the information. Thanks, Ratchet.]  
_ _ _

Elsewhere Prowl sat in front of a large holographic terminal. The Autobot deputy commander began the conversation with a ghostly blue projection of Optimus Prime's face on top of the circular grid display. He couldn't help but feel disturbed by this startling development concerning the dead facsimile. Both senior officers were prompt on the topic of the group's arrival to this alternate Earth.

"Prowl, what do you have to report?" Prime said.

"We got through the portal safely. But not without incident."

"What do you mean?"

"We encountered... difficulties upon our arrival. After we discovered the bodies of the Japanese civilians in one of the abandoned structures, we were engaged with a group of armed machines that I have never seen before. Our metallurgical scans indicate that they're human in design and manufacture. And then there's the case of the dead pilot," Prowl answered, a hand scratching the bridge of his nose before he continued. "Ratchet did a postmortem on him not too long ago. There's no question that he's a facsimile."

Prime said nothing, though his visage looked grim with concern.

"Where did you find him?"

"He was assigned with the Britannian garrison that was exterminating the population  
before the troops were recalled. It was clear from his expression that he knew what we are."

"Then it's possible we might be even more exposed than initially believed."

"That is the logical conclusion that I have come to at this point."

Facsimiles were artificial agents grown out of fusion tubes by the Decepticon army. These clones resembled beings that their cells were culled from in appearance and genetic structure. Their basic constitution as mimicries of the original subjects made them excellent tools for infiltration within alien governments. The very idea of facsimiles inside critical sectors of Britannia's infrastructure gave the Decepticons a huge strategic advantage, one that the Autobots would have trouble contending with.

"There's one other thing that bothers me. It's been bogging my processor ever since the battle a few days ago. The sudden withdrawal of the Britannian forces by Prince Clovis was no accident."

"Prince Clovis?"

"Possibly our mysterious savior. Unfortunately, he's dead. Word from the local news said that he was shot by an 'honorary Britannian'. Goes by the name Suzaku Kururugi."

Optimus cupped his chin and nodded. "Hmmm. We need to investigate this. I'm sending Nightbeat and some of our other personnel to assist you. Wheeljack will also be bringing in equipment that will aid you in your mission."

"Nightbeat?" Prowl replied as he twitched his left optic. He held respect for the detective's reputation when it came to handling investigations. Though he recalled in his memory banks that Nightbeat also had a tendency to be a bit unorthodox in his methods and preferred playing the lone wolf when he worked on cases.

"Are you certain you want to send him for this particular mission?"

"If there is one thing that I can respect about Nightbeat, it's his persistence in seeking the truth. Once he arrives with the others, I want you to gather whatever intelligence you can. If possible, seek out and capture those facsimiles. Our main priority remains in the location and recovery of the Golden Disk. Keep a low tactical profile. There's no telling how far the Decepticons have spread their influence. For the time being we will lean on the side of caution."

Prowl maintained his composure, and brought himself to full height. "I understand, sir. We'll be keeping in touch."

"Primus be with you."

Optimus' avatar faded into the nothingness, leaving the deputy commander deep in thought.  
_ _ _

Several hours had passed before the transwarp rods that regulated passage into Area 11 came to life. Each were lit by three orange rings, all of them indicators that a teleportation sequence was under way. It wasn't until moments later that the portal that brought the Autobots to this alternate Earth materialized. Afterwards, Nightbeat and three other members exited the portal single file. All of them (save one) were eager with anticipation in exploring this strange reality.

The blue-white mech Mirage wasn't very talkative after the arrival. He preferred the elegance of Cybertron, as opposed to traveling to another version of the same planet which he held no real love for. Drift, a blademaster clad in pure white armor, gave an inquisitive look but smiled as he tilted his head from side to side. He shouldered his longsword on his right pauldron as he moved onward. Wheeljack was the last bot to disembark, the engineer glowing with the same joyful exuberance as he always had when it came to engineering, science and exploration.

Jazz led the Cybertronian personnel that arrived prior and greeted their comrades in earnest. Each shook hands with each other as their human compatriots looked on. Prowl came in not too far behind. The deputy commander's face betrayed no emotion as he joined the special ops head to meet the newcomers.

"Good to see you, guys."

"Um-hmm. You too, Jazz. Prowl. Alright, straight to the point: I got the word from Optimus that my assistance is required. To what do I owe the pleasure of providing my talents?" Nightbeat asked of the two officers.

"We're going to be doing some 'digging', if you will. Information gathering," Prowl said succinctly.

"So I've been told. While we're settling in, we also bear gifts," the inspector beamed as he gestured toward a trio of hover crates. They had a metallic sheen along with the Autobot decal imprinted on the side. Wheeljack spoke a moment later.

"A little something we brought along that will be able to help us in our mission."

The mechanical engineer's optics brimmed with enthusiasm as he aimed a remote towards the direction of the containers. An audible click was heard from the device, before Prowl and company turned to face the newcomers' precious cargo. The crates de-pressurized and hissed out steam before the seals separated, unveiling the contents within. Prowl walked up to the exposed crates, and crossed his arms upon a sight he thought he'd never see again.

"Pretender shells?" the deputy commander asked, knowing well what the answer would be.

"Yep," the engineer answered.

Prowl shuddered at even mentioning those words to Wheeljack. The history that went with the shells never escaped his memory banks. Their usage were deemed a touchy subject by the Autobot military. Where they were originally conceived as an external armor plating to give added protection for Transformers against extreme environments, numerous additions were included as scientific advances continued. Over time, the purpose of the shells evolved to disguising Transformers into biological lifeforms. When the Decepticons first ventured into this project, the test trials ended with disastrous consequences, driving their subjects insane or comatose. Autobot research into the project faded into the of winds history when word of its side effects came to light.

After the chaos of the war waned and the Decepticons scattered in splinter groups across the galaxy, the Autobots began to re-explore the option of developing Pretender shells. Past encounters with less-developed races who were not used to the presence of Transformers on their homeworlds warranted the necessity to find alternate means to study alien cultures, where the size and constitution of regular Cybertronians made it impossible to do so. While there was no clear determination as to whether or not when the technology would be put into practical use, present circumstances demanded that new measures were needed in order to ensure that reconnaissance operations ran smoothly.

"Wheeljack, I've read the reports on what the shells do to their hosts. Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

Akin to an insult, the engineer recoiled at the notion of the new devices that he spent time to develop being unsafe. "Absolutely."

Prowl wanted with all his spark to agree with the resourceful mech. However, given that Wheeljack's inventions had a tendency to backfire he couldn't help but cling to his doubts. Memories of the incident involving fuel stabilizers ended with nearly disastrous consequences were it not for the intervention of the famous scientist Perceptor.

"Look, I can understand your skepticism since the grafting process itself was of Decepticon origin. I've been working with Brainstorm on this for a while. Trust me, it's much safer than it was in its first concept. We made some pretty heavy changes."

_Do I want to chance the mission on this_? Prowl thought fervently. Once he considered the circumstances, he gave a curt nod to the white mech as a sign of consent. Wheeljack took it as a blessing and faced the crowd of onlookers. "All right. I'll need three volunteers."

"I'll do it," Jazz said.

"Same here," Sideswipe added before he pointed a thumb in Sunstreaker's direction.

"No! Absolutely not!" the yellow twin shot back vehemently with glazed optics. "I'm good-looking enough without having to wear the guise of a fleshbag!"

Jazz did not twitch, though he was saddened by the statement the yellow twin made. Everyone knew the special ops lieutenant had a penchant when it came to understanding the finer nuances of foreign civilizations. He watched in silence as the brothers continued to argue with each other over wearing the shells.

"Come on bro, it's a learning experience," Sideswipe said, ever insistent in swaying his brother to chip in. Sunstreaker walked up close to his twin and remained adamant in his resistance.

"The answer is still no."

"Afraid that I'll be hogging all the fun and glory while you're over here kissing skidplates?" Sideswipe teased.

Anger began to well up within the mind of the yellow Lambo. His fists were clutched to his sides, trying to resist the urge to make a dent to the Sideswipe's faceplate. All within proximity of the of two squabbling mechs caught on the spectacle. Before Sunstreaker raised any more of a ruckus, Jazz moved himself in-between to defuse the quarrel.

"Listen, 'Streaker. I know that you're not exactly fond of Earthlings. And I know that the last thing you want to do is associate with humans up close and personal. But I'm asking for your help. And I'm not asking as your superior, but as a friend."

The white mech placed a hand on Sunstreaker's shoulder.

"Besides, if we ever get into a scuffle we'll need someone else besides Sides to watch our backs. After all, two's better than one."

Sunstreaker shifted glances and finally resigned himself to Jazz's request before he raised an index finger. "Alright. Just this once."  
_ _ _

Each of the three Autobots bore external metallic plates that fitted around their frames. At first they were somewhat hesitant the moment they first attached the strange constructs onto their bodies. Wheeljack rambled on about the new features as the trio examined their new equipment, whose excitement was apparent for this new invention.

"We made extensive modifications to the shells since their first introduction many vorns ago. When the Decepticons first started this, there was a programming flaw that corrupted a Transformer's subroutines. We re-wrote the code from scratch, so it's much more stable now. Thus, you won't have any issue of ending up being insane or comatose like those first bots. The shells are equipped with microscopic nanites that regulate your size and mass change requirements. When you first alter into your organic forms, your bodies will undergo a temporary shutdown while the transformation is taking effect. Once you turn into humans, you are capable of processing human foods and liquids for consumption, and last for several Earth days before you need to recharge. However, that comes at the cost of losing a fraction of your strength and your weapons systems from your original robot states. Your sensitivity to pain will be increased, although you still have the option of shutting off your pain receptors.

"Once you change back into your robot forms it will require a certain expenditure of energy for the transformation. As the process occurs, it will take up at least fifteen percent of your body's internal energon stores in order for the nanites to re-constitute your original state, so you'll want to use that option sparingly. Also, your shells are tied specifically to your individual genetic codes, so you don't have to worry about the 'Cons tampering with them. On a side note: in combat situations, your shells come as an added layer of protection. It can withstand weapons fire and aid in your regenerative functions. However, once it sustains too much damage it'll put your bodies into stasis lock. Remember: this thing's biological armor. You're a part of it and it's a part of you. If needed, you can also remotely control your shell via subdermal chips in your cerebral processors if you need to disguise yourselves quickly and vice versa. They can shrink and compress so that they can fit in the back storage of your superstructures."

"Sounds good. Let's get started," Jazz said, unable to resist the excitement filling up his processor. He always wondered what it felt like to live and walk like an Earthling. Now he and two of his fellow warriors got the chance to experience a more hands-on approach. Their plates enveloped them in a mesh of numerous minuscule robots that would alter them in a way that their human cohorts would never thought possible. Soon their bodies became bathed in light within their shells.  
_ _ _

|Initializing conversion...|

|Re-booting core processor...|

|System operations normal...|

|All cerebral functions running at optimal levels...|

|Awakening...|

Chip and a group of other techs watched in awe at the result of the three Autobots' transformation. Their having observed the Pretender transformation process felt akin to watching cocoons metamorphose into butterflies. All of the volunteers discarded their helmets and exhaled  
as the change reached its conclusion when the light dissipated.

"Impressive," Spike mused, visibly astounded at the changes the Autobot operatives underwent. The human liaison spun towards the mechanical engineer and back to the team of newly altered Cybertronians.

"I got to give you credit, Wheeljack. They certainly look like the real deal."

"How are you guys feeling?" Wheeljack asked.

"Small..." Sunstreaker said, staring back at Prowl who towered over him. The yellow twin felt somewhat daunted not by the sheer size of his fellow Autobot, but at the fact that he was feigning as an organic lifeform of a world he was not native of. He never felt that kind of emotion in his entire existence. "I feel completely... small..."

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Sideswipe. The youthful soldier laughed himself away as he did handstand, back flips, and other aerobic feats around the garage. Never before had the Autobots seen such cheerfulness in him when he served alongside them. Jazz was not too far off, examining the features of his new organic body as he posed himself towards the reflection of one of the crates.

"Very nice..." the Autobot spec ops officer whispered in self-admiration. He had light brown skin and sported a goatee that extended to his sideburns. Jazz welcomed the change with great enthusiasm.

For the three Pretenders, it was one big adjustment that they would have to get used to quickly and the beginning of a strange journey.  
_ _ _

Not too long after their little exhibition with the shells, Jazz and the twins scavenged for clothes for their upcoming mission. Prowl tasked the three mechs with Trailbreaker for an exploration of the Tokyo Settlement. Spike volunteered to accompany the team since he was the expedition's chief liaison, but also because he could blend in easily with the population. He busied himself prepping his standard issue tactical kit, including weapons, ammo, and first aid if the team got into trouble. Marissa tapped Spike from behind and passed him a pocket-sized gray handheld with a light blue screen.

"Chip thought you might need this. He's been scavenging the internet for information on those things that we encountered a few days ago. The data's been uploaded into the PDA. It's not as good as Jane's, but it gives at least a basic outline into some of the machinery we're up against."

Spike took a cursory glance at the device and sifted through each entry. Pistols, assault rifles, tanks, aircraft, the works. Upon the next entry within the storage device his face brightened with recognition on the digital image. A portrait of the blue mecha that the Autobots fought earlier was dubbed the 'Sutherland'.

"Knightmare Frames, eh? Thanks, Marissa. I'll take a look at some more on the way to the city," he said before he paged down through the some final details and pocketed the the device into his jeans. He walked to the side of the garage where the three Pretenders finished changing their clothes.

"You guys ready?"

"We're set over here," Jazz said. The white Porsche-turned organic lookalike walked alongside the Lambo twins. Jazz was calm, composed, and wore a white shirt with a men's suit and a green tie. Spike was impressed by the special ops agent, the latter knew good taste when it came to clothing. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker wore casual attire of normal-looking civilians that helped them brighten their youthful appearance. The red twin had auburn hair, with bluish eyes and a curved face that would've made him an instant winner with human women. Sunstreaker's form shared similar qualities with his sibling, save for the blond hair and the deadly gaze he retained from his original robot form. Spike, satisfied with the results, signaled the team to follow him.

"Alright, let's get Trailbreaker and head out to Tokyo. We could use a little sight-seeing."  
_ _ _

**Downtown  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

On the ride over to the settlement, Jazz and Spike sat in the back and studied the history of this alternate Earth in great detail from the information they were given. The paragraphs that followed showed extensive details of past events that occurred over the last two millennia. As they continued to pore through the data, they stumbled upon entries that outright shocked them:

Benjamin Franklin taking bribes from the British and betraying his countrymen.

George Washington's rebellion against the imperium and the failure of the American Revolution...

And the subjugation of the Japanese people by the Britannian Empire.

"So the United States as a nation never even existed," Spike said with a solemn face.

"Japan's been turned to a colony, and its people are now called Elevens..." Jazz concluded before he asked: "Remind you of anything?"

"Yeah, I recall facts about the Irish being indentured servants after they arrived to America. Same for the Italians. Also reminds me of the Industrial era where European nations expanded throughout Africa, China, and India," the SEAL explained before putting the PDA back in his pocket and leaning back against his chair. "Of course, we're equally guilty. I wonder what else is different out here..."

On the subject of alternate identities, Jazz settled on Jerome Snyder. He is the eldest brother of Chris and Evan Snyder (Sideswipe and Sunstreaker respectively). The three migrated from the Britannian mainland on a business venture to Japan, and came across Spike, who worked as a contractor for the government. Chip was still busy working on producing plausible cover stories for the team if they ever came across a hurdle, so Jazz brought it upon himself to school the twins in Earth culture to help them blend in with the populace.

Once they reached the outer limits of the city, Trailbreaker deposited the group near an avenue where it connected to a series of stores and shops. Jazz fished his jacket's breast pocket and produced four plastic cards. Spike's eyes inspected them as he faced back in his cohort's direction. They were based off the civilian I.D. founded off of the dead facsimile.

"I.D. Cards?"

"Courtesy of Chip. Might come in handy," the Autobot Pretender said.

"I'll have to thank him later."

"Alright, Trailbreaker. We're going to be roving around for a bit. You might want to do the same so as not to arouse suspicion," Jazz suggested.

"Definitely. I'll be staying in communications range in case you need me. And guys, good luck," Trailbreaker said before he left on his own.  
_ _ _

Night settled in as the four friends explored the Tokyo Settlement. The distance was forgiving since their group were within less than an hour's travel time if they needed to re-stock on certain supplies. While Prowl insisted that the four keep a low profile, it didn't prevent them from having a little bit of fun. He decided to place his trust in Spike and Jazz to lead since both were capable of adapting on the fly. They had to play the role of guardians since the twins had a strong tendency to be impulsive in their behavior at times. Spike wanted to give his friends an unofficial 'initiation' ceremony for the transition into human culture. He suggested heading out to a nearby bar, before Sideswipe uttered something.

"Hard currency, anyone?"

The other three turned their attention to 'Chris' as he whipped out a small stack of bills out of his khakis. Spike's eyes narrowed at the very sight of them.

"Where did you get that?"

"Oh, with the help of a little gizmo Wheeljack whipped up. Got the money from an ATM machine."

Spike gave a reprimanding stare at the red twin. As they walked, the SEAL officer kept in mind that he was going to have a little word with the engineer once they got back to base. His silence and facial expression was enough to send a signal to the young Pretender that what he did to get the cash was wrong, despite the utility of the gadget.

"You're welcome," Sideswipe said with a boyish, child-like demeanor.

The team continued onward into the city until they spotted an establishment a few more blocks down called 'Violet Hour'. Spike led them in with Jazz and the twins in tow. It had an elegant feel to it, where the mahogany tables were arranged alongside the windows, and gave an excellent view of outside activity. When they reached the bar, Spike ordered their drinks. The bartender came back and delivered four beer bottles and glass mugs with due haste, as each member poured their liquids into their respective mugs. The SEAL led first with his mug raised high while the others followed suit. The Cybertronians shared a similar custom on their world when they drank glasses of high-grade energon for a celebratory occasion.

"To peace and friendship," Spike intoned.

"To peace and friendship," the other three echoed in unison. All of them sipped the frothy gold liquid. Jazz did not know what to think, but drank more of his beer anyway.

"This ain't too bad!" Sideswipe said, his face slightly contorted as his body tried to adjust to the flavor of the foamy drink.

"I'd rather have some high-grade..." Sunstreaker frowned. The unfamiliar taste of human alcohol in his mouth left an impression on his taste buds that he wouldn't forget. Oh how he missed Cybertron...

An audible beep was heard as Spike reached for his cell phone. He glanced at the device and gestured to Jazz. Whatever he saw on the phone, the human commander's face implied that it was something important. Jazz nodded in understanding, and turned to the twins with instructions to wait while he and Spike went towards the window to discuss business matters. By then they were out of sight of the Lambo brothers.

From of the corner of his eye, Sideswipe spotted a group of thugs beating up an elderly Japanese man. He lightly rapped on his brother's shoulder, pointing in the direction of the gang. Sunstreaker glanced over at his back and watched at the event unfold. Then, he turned away towards the bar and faced down at his drink.

"We just gonna sit here and do nothing?" the red twin questioned.

"It doesn't have anything to do with us."

"Like the Pit it doesn't!" Sideswipe whispered to his brother's ear. "Damn it, he's a defenseless man! We can't just watch by the sidelines with our hands tied!"

Sunstreaker spun again and considered the scenario as the beating continued. After a moment of consideration, he launched out of his chair and darted outside. Sideswipe quickly went after his sibling as the latter faced himself towards the group of hoodlums that were assaulting the elderly man. The pair quickly caught the attention of the ravenous gang. All of them sported spiked baseball bats, chains, and other assorted contraband weapons.

Soon the leader of the mob stepped forward, his musculature large and well-defined.

"What are you looking at, punk?"

"I was just wondering, is it just me or do certain people here in the city always beat up on the minority?" Sideswipe smirked. These thugs believed that they were facing off against two human outsiders. Little did the gang know they were going to be in for a big surprise.

"What's this Eleven to you?"

"Let's just say... I don't take very kindly on those who oppress the weak, especially the elderly," the red twin snarled.

"Then perhaps me and my boys'll take out our aggressions on you then!"

"You're welcome to try," Sideswipe challenged. One gangster stepped forward, lunging a blade at him before a fist sent the man flying twelve feet into the air. Immediately Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood back to back as the encirclement closed upon them. Both Pretenders held their ground as the Britannians all swarmed at once. The yellow twin sent three of them keeling over with a swift kick. Sideswipe head-butted one of the taller ones before he launched a sharp right hook along to the man's cheek. Dozens of civilians looked onward as the conflict escalated.

The brawl continued for a good ten minutes, and gave the twins a much desired workout. The leader, who got back on his feet, had his face swollen with marks and bruises. Everyone else who fought them were unconscious or groaned in pain. Either way, the two siblings gave their opponents a taste of some badly needed punishment.

"Want some more?" the red Pretender shot out as he cracked his knuckles.

No replies were given, every member of the gang was already worn out from the fight earlier.

"Chris! Evan! That's enough!" Jazz called from afar as he walked to the source of the commotion.

"You'll have to forgive these guys. They had a little too much to drink," the older bot smiled before he dragged the twins back into the bar. The gang that assaulted the elderly Japanese man recovered themselves and scurried off in fear, leaving the Pretenders free to resume their business.

After the situation settled to a calm, Jazz turned to the two siblings and warned them with a brotherly-like disposition. "You need to be careful out there. We're trying to maintain our cover."

"We couldn't sit here and do nothing," Sideswipe argued.

Jazz whispered to the red twin's ear and said: "Look man, I know this whole subservient thing with the Japanese is hard to swallow. but we have to keep a low profile. We can't help every Japanese person we come across. Trust me, I'm feeling the same way you do. Come on, let's get Spike and pay for the drinks so we can vamoose."  
_ _ _

Slightly distracted, Spike looked into his mug before he noticed a commotion just several feet away. He handed several bills to cover the drinks, before he turned his head and saw that there was a swarm of customers gathered around a TV connected to the wall in the main lounge. Whatever was happening caught their interest in a heartbeat. On the display was Suzaku Kururugi, who was covered in a straitjacket that constricted his movement.

"Hey look, something's happening!"

"Who is that?"

Intrigued, the SEAL officer got out of his seat and watched as the spectacle unfolded on live television. One masked man filled the television screen. A squad of Sutherlands surrounded the unknown individual, whose black gold-trimmed cape flapped as the winds blew through the air. Commotion filled the entire area as the mysterious human stood atop a personal transport that belonged to the late Prince Clovis.

"The man who killed Clovis... was myself!" exclaimed the individual.

Spike pulled out his cellular and hurriedly called back the base.  
_ _ _

**Autobot Outpost  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

Chip leaned against the garage wall as he smoked his cigarette. After puffing for a moment, he discarded the object and walked back inside through the back door of the garage. The building was dimly lit as everyone preoccupied themselves in preparation for Spike's upcoming assignment.

"Yes?"

"Chip, it's Spike. Are you on your laptop right now?"

"No but I was just about to do some work. Why?"

"Turn on the local news channel. Get Prowl and Marissa there as well."

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, but it's something that they need to see. I think our mysterious savior decided to make an appearance."

Not another second went to waste as Chip pulled his laptop out of sleep mode and initiated a link to the local news network. It didn't take long until Prowl and Marissa caught wind of Spike's call. All three associates perched in front of his screen as they watched the spectacle with Suzaku's rescue unfold. What they saw before their eyes baffled them completely. The acting consul in charge of the public execution of Suzaku Kururugi ordered his release to the entity named Zero. It became a chaotic situation where intent to put the Japanese man to death was replaced by a grim determination in allowing him to go free. The vigilante took advantage of the chaos and pulled Suzaku to safety atop a connecting bridge, disappearing from public view. One thing's for sure, the name of the individual who pulled off this daring little stunt would forever be imprinted on the minds of viewers around the colony.

Zero.

**End of Chapter 2**  
**  
**

* * *

****

Author's Note: For those not in the know, Jane's is a series of real-life reference books/encyclopedias of the world's military hardware. Ships, aircraft, tanks, the works.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to give my thanks to all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	5. Chapter 03 Dark Shadows

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. (additional content possibly to follow) **

**Lelouch ponders future action in Area 11, while Spike undergoes a covert mission in retrieving information concerning the whereabouts of the Golden Disk.**

* * *

****

Chapter 3: Dark Shadows

**Brighton Estate  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**  
**  
**Inside Duke Brighton's household a chess match was taking place. Behind its oak doors the halls were elaborate with silk curtains and frescoed paintings that added a Victorian feel of the decor. Each floor was constructed out of fine marble, a carryover from the legacy of the Roman Empire. Such monumental enhancements was something that only aristocratic families such as the Brightons could afford.

On the second level a large crowd gathered around the two competitors. One of the players was a young man in his teens, with jet-black hair and violet eyes filled with determination. Outwardly he appeared as nothing other than an overconfident schoolboy. Members of the audience, including the duke were perplexed at his disposition. Whispers were rampant among the nobles as they watched onward.

"Arrogant little upstart. Who does he think he is?"

"A student against a noble? How atrocious."

"He seems to be holding well against the duke, though."

Chess fascinated Lelouch Lamperouge ever since he was a child. It was a game that led him to understand himself more as he grew older. He enjoyed it because he felt that with each opponent he played against was a test that measured his intellectual limits. While each opponent had sixteen pieces, only the person that used them in an economic fashion would prove himself the better player.

Rivalz Cardemonde stood afar in anticipation of Lelouch's eventual triumph against his adversary.

Duke Brighton was a large fellow, overweight if not haughty and indifferent towards those he considered to be lesser beings. He held a hard gaze at his younger foe, an indirect manner of challenging the boy to best him.

"Preoccupied on delaying the inevitable, pup?"

"No. Far from it, actually."

Several minutes passed, and the odds were not in the duke's favor. The Britannian ex-prince analyzed the pieces that were situated across the board furtively. His right hand twirled with his black queen around his thumb. Auxiliary units which consisted of two knights and a bishop cornered the white queen to the edge of the playing field. The knights were positioned in a manner where their placement allowed them to 'fork' their target. Lelouch's bishop provided support by blocking the white king to prevent it from eluding their field coverage and make headway for the final stroke.

After a few seconds spent observing the positions of the remaining forces from both sides, he decided it was time to execute his endgame.

_All conditions are cleared. The path to victory lays open before me._

"Checkmate," he declared. The aristocrats that surrounded him and his competitor gasped in astonishment. Not only did Lelouch defeat another noble, he also defeated one of the more renowned chess players in Area 11. The duke staggered back in disbelief, completely vexed at the outcome of the game. Rivalz patted Lelouch on the shoulder, and commended him on his victory before they went to secure the winnings and depart.  
_ _ _

"Time?"

The blue-haired Britannian glanced at his watch. "Eight minutes and forty-two seconds."

_Damn, I'm lagging_, he thought to himself as he rubbed his right temple.

"Is something wrong, Lelouch?"

"Oh, I just got a slight headache. Not too much to worry over."

_Except for the fact that I now command a group of terrorists who share a deep hatred for the empire. A group that deserves careful attention._

Fatigue wore away at the ex-Britannian prince's mind. Living a double life as a student and caped vigilante was not an easy task. Having spent numerous nights plotting and conducting surgical strikes against the Britannian Empire and rogue criminal elements proved taxing if it weren't for the assistance from the Shinjuku resistance. Then he thought back on the one woman who granted him the power which he now has in his possession.

C.C.

Geass.

The ability of controlling the will of others was a convenient power, so much to the point that it was frightening. Though some of the senior individuals within his resistance group questioned how he managed to procure certain assets for their war against Britannia, he finagled his way out through the explanation that he secured favors from certain individuals who shared in their anger against the empire.

Life felt akin to chess for Lelouch. Plotting moves and countermoves in this particular game was like child's play to him. For a person of his age, he was highly adept at it and held a great sense of depth perception when it came to the social climate of the world and international politics. He founded the comparison of reality to the game he frequently engaged himself in utterly chilling. Decisions that were rendered had consequences that could make or break individuals. While he appeared to be a slacker on the surface, he possessed a keen intellect that instilled fear among his enemies.

He was also known to be attached, if not overly protective of his younger sister Nunnally. For the two of them, each day held its own unique challenges, and both took it in strides. Living amongst the civilian population in Area 11 opened their eyes to the sufferings of the Japanese. Robbed of all rights and freedoms granted by the previous national government, the citizens spend each of their waking hour living no better than slaves under the iron fist of the Holy Britannian Empire.

None save for a select few knew of their royal heritage. The siblings adopted their mother's maiden name Lamperouge for fear that they might be discovered by hostile elements of the imperial family and become targets of assassination. It was a frightening prospect that Lelouch wished to avoid at all costs. At the same time, he wanted to dismantle the Britannian regime ruled by his father, and seek out the truth behind his mother's death. He suspected her assassination to be an inside job. There was simply no way for mere terrorists to breach the imperial palace without assistance from someone in the upper echelons of the monarchy. To go at such lengths and make the event look like a terrorist attack irked him completely. His reaction to the whole ordeal prompted him to confront the emperor, who was nonchalant at the death of Marianne. Lelouch thus discarded his royal status, and was exiled from the homeland alongside his sister to Japan as bargaining chips.

In time, he would make the empire pay dearly for the injustice they both suffered, and avenge the death of their mother.

He would have to calculate his moves accordingly, lest he falls victim to his own insatiable thirst for vengeance. His plans against the imperium required a certain level of finesse and subterfuge that the terrorist cell was more than capable of. One of his original plans involved bringing his childhood friend Suzaku into the fold. However, Suzaku being his usual naive self, kindly refused the offer. He went the honest route and faced the trial of Prince Clovis' murder anyway, in spite of the odds stacked against him.

_Damn you for being an idiot, Suzaku._

Thankfully the man was spared from death, since Lelouch introduced Zero to the world as the murderer of the empire's third prince. However, Lelouch wanted to retain the option of having Suzaku as his sister's guardian before he begins his campaign against Britannia. When the time came, he would dispose of the current regime and replace it with one that did not differentiate people based on their wealth and social status. A better place in which Nunnally could live in happily.

_Happiness. Something that's been in short supply lately._

"Lelouch? Earth to Lelouch!"

Rivalz's voice snapped the ex-prince back to reality.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Lelouch offered a smile to assuage his friend's concern and erase any hint of suspicion: "Trust me. Let's just head to school."  
_ _ _

**Autobot Outpost  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11**

Daylight flooded the Autobot's Shinjuku outpost. Feeling enthused for a jog inside the factory, Spike stretched his limbs and ran around the upper ring level before he stumbled onto a preoccupied Wheeljack. The engineer held a fusion torch in his black metallic fist, which he lit upon a small oval-shaped device. Spike didn't know what to make of it, and Wheeljack noticed the curious look the human gave when he saw the SEAL lift a brow with child-like fascination.

"Am I intruding on something?"

"Nope. I just finished up my newest invention," replied the white mech.

"What is it?"

"It's a micro-relay node. This little gimmick extends the line of sight for our communications  
by several kilometers through laser induction."

Spike shifted his weight on the rails. "In essence, they're repeaters."

"Exactly."

"Sounds like an interesting device."

"Wait 'til you see it in action. Speaking of action, Prowl needs to talk to you," Wheeljack said.

"Did he say anything specific?"

"It concerns the upcoming mission."

"I figured as much," Spike sighed before he resumed his run. "Thanks, Wheeljack."  
_ _ _

Elsewhere, Prowl leaned against the holographic display as it changed into a 3D representation of the Tokyo Settlement. They were segregated into clusters of colors, where the majority of the city was lit in light blue. A few select structures further beyond the premises of the nearby industrial sectors were highlighted in red. Every detail on the settlement that could be seen on the surface was collected from real-time satellite imagery when Chip managed to hack into the Britannian military network, before he broke off to avoid suspicion of tampering with their space-based systems. It would prove invaluable in the team's future endeavors.

"I heard you needed to see me, Prowl."

"I did," the deputy commander admitted. "We've been prepping for tonight's mission. Since the Britannians have committed a lot of their resources in finding this 'Zero', we can move about a little more freely within the city. We have ascertained the location of a contracting firm called Lukas International. It's a business partner tied with a group called the Rosenberg Institute, and both are engaged in military research."

Prowl clicked on the pad to his terminal where a light orange rectangle stood out from one of the glowing red structures.

"Inside the CEO's office there is a computer terminal which has information pertaining to the identities of personnel involved in the science and technology division. We need to take a closer look at the data and find out if they know anything about the Golden Disk."

Another keystroke materialized a green arrow into Spike's point of insertion.

"You'll be entering through a ventilation shaft which links to the rest of the firm. Chip will be on standby to initiate a 'shutdown' for this section of the city before you get inside. It will give the impression that there's a temporary power failure and place the building under emergency power."

"What's my time limit?"

"Thirty-five to forty minutes, tops."

Spike scratched his chin pensively and asked: "When we breached the network couldn't we have ascertained the location of the personnel database from there?"

"Unfortunately, when Chip hacked inside we found out that the terminal itself is an isolated workstation separate from the one the CEO usually uses. Thus, that only leaves us with the option of retrieving the data through physical means."

"Which is where I come into play."

"Yes," Prowl replied. "Trailbreaker's already on stand-by with Ironhide and Nightbeat. We'll be deploying the new relay nodes that Wheeljack's manufactured and do some field testing before we start tonight. Your NSA associates has a tactical kit ready for you with Trailbreaker at the moment."

"Right. You know, I've been thinking about the battle when we first got here in Shinjuku. Do you think this Zero rescued us intentionally?"

"To be honest, I tried not to dwell on the matter too much. However, I believe it to be purely coincidental that he managed to pull it off. Why he killed Prince Clovis is beyond me. Regardless, we must avoid direct confrontation with the Britannians and any other powers they're contesting with."

"Somehow, I have a feeling this is going to get much worse than we thought it to be..." Spike whispered to himself.  
_ _ _

**Ashford Academy  
****Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

It was the same routine when it came to high school life in Ashford Academy. Lelouch drummed his fingers lightly on the table as the teacher prodded on through the physics lesson. He maintained little to no effort in trying to keep his eyes open, twirling a pencil in his right handto alleviate his boredom.

Thoughts of the speech his father made shortly after the little spectacle of the cat chase around the school two days ago clawed at his conscious. Evolution: the one word he used as 'progress' for Britannia, the imperial scourge ever unceasing in its continual campaign of dominance and tyranny of the Earth. To Lelouch it was nothing other than an excuse to trample over others for its own twisted purposes, something that could not be forgiven. It's this ideal that propels him to destroy the empire at all costs, even if he has to lie, manipulate, and destroy in order to achieve his goals. After all, the life he lived felt nothing more than an illusion.

When classes finally finished Lelouch darted out and occupied himself in the school library. He sat behind his laptop as news of Zero circulated around the internet. He became an instant celebrity, baffling authorities when he snatched Kururugi out of the clutches of Jeremiah Gottwald. One slim finger struck another key on the computer as he scrolled further into the details.

Jeremiah Gottwald became demoted under the suspicion that he conspired with Zero to allow his prisoner to go free. Lelouch chuckled inwardly as he read further on the aftermath following the rescue. Those that followed Gottwald's command were also stripped of their rank and privileges, reduced to nothing more than pilots under the auspices of the imperium. Such actions were a fatal blow to the morale of Gottwald and his troops. The 'Orange Incident' would forever be imprinted in the minds of the populace where one certain caped individual dared to defy the empire and make a mockery of the ideals which it held in high regard.

Then he spotted an entry into the announcement of his elder sister Cornelia li Britannia taking over as viceroy. When she took charge of Area 11 she began a massive manhunt in finding the murderer of Clovis. Elements of the Yamato Alliance and the Japanese Liberation Front were swiftly decimated by her forces. He scrolled through the texts and founded that her assistants were none other than General Andreas Darlton and Lord Gilbert Guilford, her two most trusted advisors. If he was going to ascertain the truth behind his mother's death, he would have to do it soon.

The memory of Clovis begging for his life before he was shot emanated. He mentioned that Schneizel and Cornelia knew the details about the assassination. Thus, since Cornelia had a penchant for frontline combat Lelouch would start with her first.

"Perhaps it's time I played my hand, dear sister," the ex-prince said as he gazed towards the sunset. Its orange hue faded slowly as the hour ticked by.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Neon-colored lights dotted across the cityscape. Gray clouds billowed in the darkness above, which gave Spike his opportunity to shine once more. Clad in an unmarked black kevlar bi-weave suit, he stood atop the adjacent complex that linked to the firm: a tower seven stories in height. His face was shrouded in a mask where no one could identify him. In his mind, he prayed that the plan with the shutdown of the building's commercial power worked. The information Chip gave him prior to his departure indicated that there was only a small team of security and civilian personnel inside the structure, so he would have free reign through its inner recesses to find the terminal and steal the data.

"How's the link working?" asked Spike.

"Line's clear. Looks like the micro-relay nodes work perfectly," Prowl replied.

"Good to hear," Spike answered tersely, mindful to keeping the transmissions short.

The past several hours were furious when the Autobots carefully maneuvered their way to different sectors of Tokyo deploying Wheeljack's new device. Tests were conducted to ensure the security of their communications line. 'Groundhogs', as the NSA agents dubbed them, were designed to dig into the local terrain. Each relay was placed in a fashion where only the expedition knew of their locations. and invisible to the naked eye. It allowed them perfect coverage of the surrounding area around the capital that linked back to Shinjuku, just enough so that they could see and hear everything within several kilometers from beyond the ghetto. Any curious onlooker who managed to stumble onto the device would force it to self-destruct, leaving no trace of evidence.

_Time for a little midnight stroll._

Spike jumped across to the firm's from the rooftop of the connecting tower. Traffic noises were rampant as the streets raged with vehicular activity from below. The SEAL spent a moment gazing at the city in admiration before he continued with his mission. Approximately twenty four meters from his position, a camera hovered near the entrance where he would breach through and enter. He guessed the range of the camera to be no more than ninety feet, which was well within the range of his jammer.

Recollections of the old days with the CIA and the navy came back to mind. He participated in dozens of missions where he had to kill, steal, and destroy. If there was one thing Spike learned: it's that there was no place on Earth that could not be breached. Everything had a weakness, it was simply a matter of whether it could be found and exploited. The SEAL considered this mission a cakewalk in comparison.

He drew a breath and exhaled before he carried on with his task. In one quick motion he brought out his silencer, equipped with the optically charged potentiator (OCP) and initiated the jamming at the lens of the security camera. The commando was fond of the OCP; it had the ability to temporarily disable all manner of electronics: everything from computers to TV screens and light fixtures. The camera's spasms of its internal wirings indicated a successful jamming, as he made a quick dash towards the ventilation entrance to avoid detection before the camera reinitialized itself.

He reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled a small kit containing a set of lockpicks. The SEAL dispensed one of the thin instruments and skillfully worked through the lock's mechanisms. After a few clicks, he clutched on the handle and proceeded into the room where the air ventilation unit. In the center spun a fan blade that rotated in a speed which could hack anything into mincemeat.

"Alright, I'm near the insertion point," Spike said through his headpiece.

"Stand by," Chip replied.

After a few seconds, the swirling blade fan came to a sudden halt.

"Alright Spike, you're clear to move."

_Only a fifteen-second window. Plenty of time_, Spike thought quietly to himself.

Not a moment longer, the SEAL jumped through before emergency power came up.

"I'm in," Spike said as he mounted his tri-focal night vision goggles. Everything in sight was bathed in green white light. The passageways of the tower had blue carpeting, and the ceiling lights were offline. It made moving around and blending in the shadows easier for Spike. He carefully peeked around the halls as he moved onward, mindful of the roving security personnel. The ones he encountered so far walked with flashlights beamed in front of them as they conducted their patrols with sidearms readied. Thankfully no one spotted him, since stealth was part of his many crafts.

In his mind he felt akin to a rat in a lab experiment, wandering through the maze-like complexity of Lukas International as he continued traveling. To his left, the SEAL moved while crouched at a brisk pace towards an open air duct. Spike took a moment to scan his surroundings before he maneuvered himself (albeit uncomfortably) into the space. After nearly ten minutes spent navigating through a series of interlocked ducts, Spike crept outside to a wide and dimly lit room where computer terminals were scattered across the area. Each separated by walls that made it easier to hide. From what Spike has seen, there was no one in proximity to his location.

_Twenty-two minutes so far._

"Alright, I'm in the network area. From what I can see there's a bunch of workstations scattered around," Spike called as he checked his map through his OPSAT (operational satellite) display from his wrist.

"Okay, the chief exec's office should be about thirty meters away from the western column of workstations," Chip replied.

Spike moved as swiftly as he could through the hallway. The NSA liaison took measured steps before he reached the end of his route. After he reached three-fourths of his path he paused for a moment and examined the area before he proceeded towards the door of his target. On the wall next to the entry point was a panel with numeric keys. Spike mentally cursed to himself before the intelligence analyst interrupted the SEAL's train of thought.

"You should be near the objective now, Spike."

Scanning his surroundings before he turned his attention back to the door, Spike eyed a panel with numeric keys located on the right of the entrance to his goal. He inspected it up close, only to find that there was nothing to interface with. The chief liaison cursed his luck and called back to the base.

"I got a problem: it looks like the office is secured with a keypad next to the door."

"Hmm. Wait one, I'm going to try and hack into -- Uh-oh, incoming guard closing on your six," Chip warned on the comm line.

Spike rolled behind a wall adjacent to the CEO's office. The SEAL crouched his body and inched his head around the corner. From his hiding spot he watched a lone guard as the latter veered right towards the lieutenant commander's direction. The guard sported a blue uniform with a service cap and tie, pistol and flashlight in hand. Spike backed away as the man directed his light at the entrance of the chief executive's office. Once the guard reached his destination Spike unsheathed his combat knife and grabbed the unsuspecting man from behind, with the blade's tip aimed towards the throat.

"Hi," Spike said in a venomous tone. "I'd drop the gun if I were you."

Frightened, the man complied and dropped the pistol on the deck. "Who are you?"

"You're in no position to ask questions," Spike replied as he kept the knife inched at the guard's jugular. "You assigned security detail in this area?"

"Yes!" shouted the guard in a muffled voice, his eyes wide.

"Keep it down unless you want to bleed all over the floor. Tell you what, let's play a little game. Pick a number between one and ten."

The man answered weakly, his mind gripped with fear: "Seven?"

"Heh, lucky. Tell me something useful."

"Wh-What?"

"What's the access code into the CEO's office?"

"I can't tell you."

Showing that he's serious, Spike pushed the blade closer to motivate his captive to give him the answer he wants. "Perhaps you want to go another round?"

"No! Wait! It's 15763. 15763!" the guard repeated.

"Thanks for the info. But, I can't allow to you live."

"No, please I --" the man's voice got cut off as the SEAL tightened his choke hold. The amount of pressure he exerted on the hapless guard's throat was enough to render him unconscious. Spike hoisted the guard over his shoulder as he crouched and proceeded towards his goal. He keyed the numbers and quickly went inside with the unconscious guard in tow. Not another moment was wasted as he locked the door to prevent any intrusion. Afterwards, he peeked around and observed two separate terminals situated throughout the darkened room. One was placed in the far right corner that was different in configuration from the one in front of him. It had an LCD monitor and keyboard, both devices connected to a tower chassis placed alongside a file cabinet. Moonlight spilled through the window sill behind the CEO's desk.

"I've found the terminal. Hang tight one sec, I'm going to interface with it."

He lifted his left wrist upwards and pulled wirings connected to his OPSAT, linking it to the standalone terminal. The connection created a virtual interface between the OPSAT and the CEO's computer. Inside the wrist-mounted device was an algorithm Chip made that could breach whatever encryption protected the executive's most sensitive files and open them up for access.

"All right, I'm in. Give me a moment, I'm taking a looksee through the data."

After several minutes, Spike navigated the numerous directories stored within the computer. Names were listed on the glowing monitor screen as he cross-referenced identities of the different researchers associated with classified projects. One name came up that immediately caught the veteran officer's attention.

"Spike, this is Prowl. Did you find any references to the Golden Disk or the facsimiles?"

"No, I got something else. A name of somebody I'm familiar with: Thomas Arkeville," Spike answered back.

"Thomas Arkeville?" Prowl repeated.

"Yeah, used to work with him during my field ops days in the CIA."

"How does he fit into all this?" the Autobot strategist asked.

"Better if we asked him in person. I got some files right here."

"Hate to interrupt your conversation, Spike," Chip chimed in the two officers' conversation: "But you got company fifteen meters outside of the office. Three guards coming in, along with five others that are eight meters behind them."

The SEAL nodded in acknowledgement to the warning, connecting his OPSAT device into the computer. "I'm going to get a copy of the data and make a break for it."

"Might want to make it fast, man. They're getting closer..." said Chip, whose voice showed signs of concern and anxiousness.

"Gee, thanks Chip," Spike shot out sarcastically while the file download continued. The lieutenant commander remained cool in spite of the pressure mounting against him. Sweat beads dripped on his face as time ticked. Once the download finished, he drew out his silenced pistol and fired two rounds into the terminal, effectively destroying the computer and the data it stored. Much to his dismay, the building's power came back on, illuminating the entire office.

_Not good._

"Gordon, you in there?!" shouted one of the security personnel.

Spike slid open the window and snuck out before the guards crashed through the main door. All of them leveled their firearms, only to find that one of their own laid on the ground, his body rolled to the side. The head of the security team circled past the CEO's desk and peered outside where the SEAL escaped, only to find nothing but winds blowing through the air and the city below, as if a ghost entered and left without a trace.

"Search the building! The intruder has got to be around here somewhere!" the leader barked, glancing outside once again, baffled as to where their quarry went.  
_ _ _

Breathing a sigh of relief as he hanged several ledges below from the CEO's window, Spike shimmied his way around back to the starting point and dashed back to the alley where Trailbreaker awaited. He climbed the ladder down and unmasked himself before he went into the passenger's seat of the disguised robot. The SEAL took a moment to examine his prize: tons of data stored within the OPSAT module that ran numerous lines of code.

"Glad you made it out, Spike," Trailbreaker said.

"Thanks. We better leave now while we still can. The guards are going to be looking for us now," the human officer suggested.

"Right."

While he continued to study the information stored on his device, it stopped short at the list of names that he read earlier back at Lukas International. Thomas Arkeville's name was ingrained into Spike's conscious. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask of the former CIA officer. He could not do anything but bide his time as Trailbreaker shifted gears back towards Shinjuku.

**End of Chapter 3**

* * *

Author's note: The first segment of this chapter contained pieces I originally had reserved for a ShirleyxLelouch fic. Since Lelouch barely had any appearances I figured I'd put him here since his real intro was long overdue. The last part was the most difficult (I was trying to capture the tension of Spike roving around as a spy since he has experience in the field of espionage).

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to give my thanks to all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	6. Chapter 04 Compass

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. (additional content possibly to follow) **

**The Decepticons and Britannians prepare for an incursion against the Autobots hiding in Shinjuku. Spike tells the team some information regarding Thomas Arkeville. **

* * *

**Chapter 4: Compass**

**Lukas International Primary Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Dozens of spy satellites circled the Earth's atmosphere. Each maintained a constant vigil over its area of coverage. However, there was a specific one that fed streams of data back into the hub that it linked to. Digital information bits formulated a sequence of pictures on a massive monitor screen, which caught the attentive eye of one man hidden deep in the confines of the lowest sub-level of the research center. Hacked satellite recordings of a battle between the Autobot expedition and the Britannian Sutherlands commanded by the late Prince Clovis cycled through the display, the man remaining studious of the hostile encounter by the two groups.

"So they finally decided to send their lapdogs over here after all. Interesting."

Behind him, a pair of doors swished open as a familiar malevolent being stepped through, the clamor of its footsteps echoed with each landing. It had wings which pointed upwards, and red optics which glowed from beyond the darkness of the room.

"What's this, Mr. Arkeville?" asked the alien, its mechanical voice shrill and otherworldly.

"It would appear that my government has sent agents over to this side," Arkeville uttered as he turned to face himself towards the giant alien sentient. "And the Autobots have followed them, as well."

"Or rather, they followed the Autobots," the former CIA official finished. Thomas Arkeville was a tall man with a medium build, aged in his fifties. He carried with him experience that showed in the scars he obtained through numerous clandestine operations conducted around the world. Once seen as the 'go-to' guy in the area of cybernetics, his methods in regards to technological advancement by fusing man and machine were deemed too radical by the senior leadership of the agency. One could only go so far to secure the assistance of power-hungry bureaucrats whom he viewed as inefficient, greedy and oblivious when it came to the operational management of an advanced field which they took for granted.

Those in the highest tiers of the agency acknowledged the fact that the first group of volunteers who underwent the transformation into cyborgs had a high rate of success through all their missions, which carried favor in the eyes of the federal government. The test subjects' durability and operational capabilities were enhanced tenfold through increased physical strength, endurance, visual acuity and other characteristics which helped immensely in field operations. It gave something Arkeville to be proud of. Unfortunately for him and his volunteers, that success was short-lived.

After his group of field operatives' modifications, unexpected side-effects came about. Reports of brain damage, psychological trauma, shorter life expectancies and eventual death reached the ears of the politicians in Washington, which fell back to the directors at Langley. What resulted afterwards was a backlash that wrecked Arkeville's reputation for life, and led to the downfall of the cybernetics bureau, killing any hope of reviving the program in the foreseeable future. The day in which the director stepped into his office and told him to pack remained deep in his memory, one that he would never forget.

While it made a dent to his ego, it did not deter him from his plans and paying back the CIA for the suffering he endured. When Arkeville couldn't turn to those who ran the intelligence community for help, he decided to play the devil and engage in more dangerous pursuits. He hired foreigners from around the world who had no ties to the agency. Deals were made, and all parties involved won something for keeps.

Of course, these offerings did not come without a price. While Arkeville granted his clients cybernetic enhancements in exchange for money, the subjects' newfound existence as augmentees resulted in the same side effects in which the original CIA volunteers suffered from. The only feasible 'measures' that he managed to offer his customers came in the form of psychotropic drugs and sedatives to ease the pains that gradually developed during the course of their evolution. In reality, those same measures were nothing more than a means to control a pack of wild dogs that were feral and had to be kept on a tight leash.

In only a short span of time, he raised a secret army whose dependence on these substances determined whether they lived or die. They were guerrillas, mercenaries, soldiers and terrorists; individuals whom he deemed expendable in his endless quest for power and personal gain. Since the agency lacked any backbone to grant him further funding and support for his operations, he decided to push his odds further and sought the aid of the Decepticons, who were hidden in the bottom tip of South America.

He offered the Decepticons something they couldn't refuse: the location of the ancient Golden Disk, which was held in a secure Autobot facility within the Arctic region. It was knowledge kept in the highest levels of leadership within the White House, the CIA, the NSA, and other select parties both native and foreign, along with Optimus and his command staff. The Decepticons exploited that knowledge and took the artifact back, and rewarded Arkeville appropriately. In return for the intel he gave them to help recover the prized object, they granted him the tools and resources necessary to allow him to further his research in cybernetics. While they could have easily eliminated him from existence, they figured that since he contributed to their escape and infiltration into the Britannian Empire they would make use of him and play on his desire for vengeance. Arkeville 'swore' his loyalty to the Decepticons, while secretly plotting behind their backs. His personal agenda took precedence over whatever schemes that Starscream and Megatron had in store for the future.

"With the Americans and the Autobots here, it looks like there's going to be trouble," the former CIA cybernetics chief said.

"Their real welcome is long overdue. Perhaps it would be best if we send the troopers and give them a proper greeting," Starscream grinned, blue plated fists clutched together.

"You can't be serious. At this stage?" Arkeville said with a furrowed brow.

The aerospace commander's optics flashed bright red. "I _am_ serious. If the Autobots are here then they will most definitely undo the machinations upon which we've worked very hard to keep secret," the aerospace commander beamed at his human associate. "And we can't let them spoil our fun now, can we?"

Arkeville's facial lines twisted into a frown. "No, I suppose not."  
_ _ _

**Government Bureau  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**  
**  
**Cornelia li Britannia was not pleased with the progress of the search for the vigilante known as Zero. The violet haired princess, nicknamed the 'Witch of Britannia' by her enemies, wanted straight answers. On her left side stood Guilford and Darlton: who supported her in the recent conquest of the Middle Eastern Federation, now called Area 18. When one viewed the princess on the surface she was a warrior, ruthless and deadly. Though members of her inner circle knew she had a soft side as well, where she is renowned to having a doting affection for her younger sister Euphemia. It was something that she never showed publicly.

Daily briefs from her staff were part of her duties as viceroy when it came to dealing with domestic affairs. Cornelia was never one for formality, always getting right to the point. While she proved her brilliance time and again in the battlefield through her leadership and command abilities, she lacked the strategic prowess that her younger half-brother Lelouch possessed. As she listened in to what her ministers had to report, she was distracted by thoughts of Marianne's only son. In her heart she harbored a deep respect for the lad, who proved more than often that he was too clever for his own good. Every once in a while she played chess with him and spoke on current events, exchanging thoughts and opinions about their lives as siblings. Those were good times then.

Then the assassination happened. Memories of the day that Marianne laid slain at the stairway of the Aries imperial villa haunted her thoughts. Even though the empress was originally a commoner, her meteoric rise to the throne shattered the prestige which the aristocrats favored so greatly for centuries. Cornelia grew secret feelings of contempt over the years towards those who constantly disrespected the late consort. Marianne's previous career as a Knightmare pilot brought inspiration among many, including the princess herself.

All the work she spent towards leading the investigation and not a single suspect caught. Cornelia wanted to make up for the loss with the blood of those responsible. She knew that no amount of dead bodies would undo the deaths of Lady Marianne and her two children. Her train of thought was interrupted when Darlton began the briefing in earnest.

"Viceroy, we've obtained intelligence of strange sightings out near the Shinjuku ghetto. They appear to be Knightmare Frames of unknown configuration."

The square-jawed general handed a manila folder with documentation of reports and digital photographs downloaded from the imperium's spy satellites, as well as blurred imagery recorded from Knightmare Frames that engaged these mecha in combat. His lips held a thin line as he listened to the princess' reaction in light of this new information. While sifting through the contents of the folder, Cornelia arched her eyebrows in curiosity, as the general expected. He reacted in a similar manner when he first saw the pictures from one of his lieutenants.

"Any chance of determining of what their affiliation may be?" the princess questioned as she continued to study the photographs. Looking at different angles, she founded the unknown mecha's outward appearance to be strange. In another one of the photographs she observed a red facial decal on one of the supposed 'Knightmare Frames'. Surprisingly it was humanoid in appearance, its external layer painted in pale white armor with race track markings in-between its joints, and a '4' symbol on its chest. From what she saw, there was no visible cockpit. If there was one, she suspected it was integrated somewhere inside its torso.

"From what we've collected so far, we suspect them to be of E.U. origin. And if they are, they're models that we have never seen before," Darlton offered.

"Is it possible that terrorist groups operating within Area 11 obtained these models from overseas?" Cornelia inquired.

Guilford stepped up and adjusted his glasses. "Not that we're aware of, Your Highness. Given what we presently know, perhaps it would be best if we asked those who participated in the battle in Shinjuku."

"I'm inclined to agree. Bring Gottwald and his subordinates in here," the viceroy ordered.

"At once, Your Highness," Guilford replied.  
_ _ _

Through the doors of the chamber adjacent to the conference room came the members of the Pureblood faction: Jeremiah Gottwald, Viletta Nu, and Kewell Soresi. The three pilots suspected that whatever was in store for them within that room wouldn't be good. Based on what they knew about Cornelia, she was not the kind of person to brook failure, especially from those under her command.

The guards that held their lances in place moved them aside to allow the trio to pass as they advanced forward. Inside the vast chamber awaited a group of ministers and officials responsible for the governorship of Area 11. Cornelia was seated at the far end of the U-shaped table, her posture firm but relaxed as she adjusted her uniform.

"You summoned us, Your Highness?" Jeremiah asked, trying to remain some semblance of dignity in the face of what was to come. He, along with his two cohorts, bowed their heads in respect to the second daughter of the imperial family.

"I did. Do you know why you're here?" the princess queried, her visage lacking a display of any form of emotion, but instead tried to gauge of what the former acting consul's responses would be based on his expressions and body language. Even though his head was lowered, he could see that her eyes remained observant and hawk-like. He felt that they were like twin daggers ready to stab through him any instant. "I am not certain, princess."

"You suspected that I would still kill you for your failure to execute Suzaku and capture Zero? I am beyond that point of pettiness. While I am not one to tolerate incompetence, I am not totally unforgiving. It would appear that fate has dealt us an unexpected hand. Henceforth, I am giving you three an opportunity to reclaim your honor."

Cornelia's statement drew a mixture of surprise and relief for the three loyalists. She gestured them to take seats and examine the information which she studied closely from the manila folder through the built-in computer displays placed around the conference table. Gottwald cupped his chin as he looked at the pictures. Each terminal displayed an image of the white Knightmare that bore race track markings with the red facial decal with the '4' symbol on its torso. The viceroy instructed them promptly: "I want you to take a look at the photographs closely. Do any of you recognize it?"

Jeremiah leaned back against his chair, as the aquamarine haired pilot shook his head at the pictorial display. Villetta was quick to do the same, before all eyes focused on Kewell. He scratched his right temple as he looked closer and snapped his fingers when the memory of the encounter surfaced.

"Well?" Cornelia asked.

"One of the other pilots that fought during the battle sighted this mech. He reported that it also possessed transformation capability," Kewell recalled.

"So I've been told," the princess said frankly with curious eyes. She felt she was talking to a man who came out of the psychiatric ward.

"Yes, Your Highness," the blond Pureblood replied.

"Why was I not informed of this prior to my arrival?"

"Viceroy, most of our efforts were concentrated on stopping the terrorist cell that managed to eliminate many of our number and kill Prince Clovis. We never had any time to conduct a proper investigation when the withdrawal order came through. The pilot did confirm that these mecha had the ability to transform based on the recordings fed through his factsphere," Kewell said.

"Do the recordings still exist?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. The pilot that contacted me died before he could transmit anything else when his mech was destroyed in the battle," Kewell added, wary of what her next reply would be.

"That is not an excuse!" Cornelia roared, her palms slammed on the surface of the table. All of the officials save for Darlton and Guilford cowed at her immense display of rage. It was ingrained within their minds that it would be wise to never incur the wrath of the princess. To do anything as such would be akin to asking for a death sentence. "Regardless of how trivial the situation appeared to be, I still should've been told about it! Not a single soul mentioned of this! I will not tolerate the presence of unknown forces, let alone in a territory under my jurisdiction!"

The three waited a moment as the second princess stopped herself. They didn't want to wait for her to see what she would do next. The last thing they would want is be shot dead before they left the chamber. As soon as the viceroy regained her composure she issued her next instruction.

"I'm sorry, the death of Clovis is starting to get to me. Here is your mission: you'll be joining two companies of Knightmares commanded by Lord Jacoby as advisors to Shinjuku and ascertain the possible presence of other terrorist groups operating in Area 11. Should you happen to encounter any hostility from the locals, you are given permission to eliminate them along with any opposition you encounter," Cornelia commanded. "If possible, capture any survivors."

Viletta, Jeremiah, and Kewell rose in unison and saluted gratefully to the princess. "Yes, Your Highness!"  
_ _ _

**Omotesando Mall  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike, Marissa and the twins stayed in close proximity of each other through the mall in the Tokyo concession area. The two senior human agents conferred with Prowl and suggested that a lease be secured within the premises of the city where resources were readily accessible. In their minds, they needed to expand closer to the capital so that they could gather more intelligence. What other way than to secure a contract for an empty building and set up shop on the outer premises of the capital as a private business firm?

Once their transactions with the group responsible for the management of the property concluded, they decided to explore the mall. The four were lifted through the escalator to the upper promenade of the complex, amazed at its sheer size and the liveliness of the hundreds of shoppers that roamed throughout the numerous floors.

One restaurant caught Marissa's eye as she signaled Spike and the Lambo siblings to follow her. The SEAL raised a brow at the name of the restaurant in question: 'Beacon'. He tilted his head towards the establishment and proceeded inside along with his three comrades. The aroma of steaks and other dishes in the works caught his nose by surprise. Wondrous smells filled the air as the cooks fervently worked to feed the many customers that were packed inside the restaurant.

_It's amazing how our realities parallel each other in so many ways_... Spike thought quietly.

Upon their entry, the four-person group spotted Jazz and Chip as they engorged themselves in whatever the restaurant had to offer. Spike and Marissa eyed that Chip had a plate with a slice of finely cooked steak, doused with pepper, green beans and mashed potatoes on the side. 'Jerome' chanced upon the unfamiliar realm of culinary delights and decided to try out some of the restaurant's seafood. The four new arrivals were quick to make their orders, and Spike was in a mood for some afternoon steak. It gave leeway for the team to get down right to business as they eased themselves into the steakhouse's atmosphere.

"How'd the lease go?" Jazz began, arms outstretched across the semi-circular seat.

A smile formed on the edge of Marissa's lips. "Well, we managed to get some space that occupies a couple of blocks within the city, so we got operating room there. Prowl sent word that there's a shipment of several million pounds en route from _our_ Earth to supplement what we've procured courtesy of the British government. That should help handle whatever expenses we come across. We were lucky to get any space at all within a hundred miles, since the previous business decided to move elsewhere and expand."

"What was it? Chip asked.

"A machine parts factory with a beauty salon next door," replied Marissa, whose face changed into a puppy-like expression with her cheeks puffed. The group further engaged in social gossip while they waited for their meals to arrive. Ever since Sunstreaker and Sideswipe received their biological disguises, they slowly studied and imitated the nuances of human culture. The three real humans around the table complimented the siblings on taking the next step towards living the way Earthlings did. Soon afterwards the issue of Thomas Arkeville surfaced. All faces turned toward the NSA's chief liaison and silently wondered what his relation was in regards to the former CIA official.

"So how much do you know about this Arkeville guy, Spike?" the red twin asked, his chin rested on his hands atop the smooth surface of the table.

"Quite a bit, actually. When I was working field ops in the CIA, he headed the cybernetics bureau. To be honest, I thought he was something of a pompous asshole, but he is extremely well-versed in bio-mechanical engineering. Though he wasn't liked much by the higher-ups since they considered him as something of a maverick. Kinda shares the same stuck-up superiority complex that Mirage has, if you know what I mean.

"After a little bit of persuasion the director gave Arkeville the go-ahead for the funding of Operation SAW. The goal of the project was to create a group of cybernetically enhanced field agents and test their effectiveness in practical applications during covert operations."

"SAW?" Marissa asked quizzically.

"Specialized asymmetric warfare. Basically the evolution of black ops and covert ops to the point where the mission participants are selected and trained to become super soldiers, and take on tasks where even special forces units can only go so far.

"Once the program itself went full throttle, six volunteers underwent surgery to have implants directly in their bodies. Afterwards, they conducted numerous tests through different exercise regimens and actual ops in the field. That's where I was tapped by Arkeville, since he was familiar with my rep and wanted me to tag alongside the group as an advisor and observer. I worked with his guys on a few missions in Europe and Columbia when they were called up for several jobs that required a certain level of... craftiness. From what I've seen, all of them were exceptionally well-trained, and completed their tasks with a high margin of success. That was... until this one mission in Shanghai..." Spike broke with a pause, his face sullen at the memory of the six agents that he worked with before they died.

"What?" Jazz queried, the Autobot spec ops lieutenant became concerned at the SEAL's expression.

"Certain... complications came up that we did not foresee. Apparently there were some side-effects associated with the implants when they were installed. Autopsy reports indicated that after inspecting each of the bodies, the implants gradually damaged the cognitive and biological functions of all of the operatives because they were embedded too far into their genetic structure. Two of them committed suicide, the others eventually broke down and went insane," Spike concluded. "Thus it gave the agency no other choice but to terminate the project."

"Looks like your orders are coming," Chip observed from the distance, as two waiters skillfully carried trays of food, placing them with care onto their table. Spike waited a moment until the pair gave them their plates and departed from the team's table.

Marissa soon brought the conversation back up. "What happened to the other four?"

"I had to take 'em out before they killed anyone else. After the incident, all records associated with Operation SAW were sealed in Langley. And things went downhill from there. Arkeville got fired, and the project was never touched again. Though I heard that unofficially he used illegal components in his development process, and whatever materials he had used during his research were gone," Spike finished before he took another bite from his steak. The soft texture of the meat temporarily eased his conscious.

"Funny. Now I'm curious as to how and why he's over in this dimension now. It's safe to assume this dude's got help from the outside," Jazz asked.

"As we already know, he's helping the Decepticons. As to what kind of deal he's made with them, we're not sure about. This leads us to our next point of discussion," the SEAL said as he pulled his PDA and sifted through a few pictures of researchers and businessmen tied to Lukas International. He placed the device on the table so everyone else could glance at it.

"Joseph Fenette. Business prospector and public official, age 45. Handles Area 11's economic sector in the extraction and distribution of sakuradite. Previous occupation was management of a mining company called Geoscape. The records here show that Arkeville's tied to him as well. It also says that Joe's one of the closest associates to Lukas International since he was responsible for the purchasing and requisition of some of the mining vehicles that was developed by that company several years back," Spike said. "And since Joe is a mining prospector, it would give us another lead to start with. We'll need to take a visit down to Mr. Fenette's office and check on the people who work under him to see if we can fish anything out in regards to Arkeville."

All of the other individuals around the table nodded in understanding as Spike continued his brief.  
_ _ _

Several stores away from 'Beacon', Shirley sorted through the lines of dresses that were displayed in the middle of the boutique store. Milly and Nina were only a few feet away, preparing for the upcoming Sunday trip to the Lake Kawaguchi convention hotel for a tour of the historic site. Classical music played in the background as the girls preoccupied themselves. It was at that moment that Shirley spotted a lime green strapped blouse that she thought would be perfect for the occasion. She remained unwary as Milly snuck behind her younger friend to glance at the blouse that the latter was intent on buying.

"Say, madam president, how would I look in this one?" Shirley asked innocently.

"It looks fabulous on you, Shirley!" exclaimed Milly. "And I think it's appealing enough to catch Lelouch's eye, wouldn't you agree?" the blonde ex-noble teased.

Shirley considered the thought for a moment. In truth she had difficulty in getting the student vice president's attention. His secretive charisma didn't help matters much either. Hence, she could only pray that Lelouch would come along on the trip to tell how she felt about him, after that fateful day where she spotted him in distance during a traffic accident downtown in their first year together at Ashford Academy.

"I'll buy it!"  
_ _ _

As soon as the six members of the Autobot/human expedition finished their meals and left the Beacon, Sideswipe stood for a moment as he glanced at his jacket before he spotted a trio of human girls sauntering towards the group's direction. Each ferried in their hands shopping bags collected from the stores that they visited throughout the mall. He eyed the three carefully as one of the girls' high heels stuck into a tile, prompting the red twin to prop her with one of his arms as he steadied the young lass back on her feet.

"Easy there, now."

"Whoops, sorry about that," the auburn-haired girl said clumsily, modest in her expression.

"It's okay," Sideswipe replied in a calm manner. "Need a hand, miss?"

"No, but thank you."

When the girl recovered herself, she moved onwards alongside a slightly taller blond woman and a petite girl who had glasses framed on her face. Sideswipe surmised the three women to be students. Though he would never realize that he just crossed paths with the daughter of their  
quarry.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Experimental Facility  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Inside the hanger bay of the Lukas test site, a group of six dark blue mechanoids were positioned against the wall. Massive cables protruded throughout their bodies where sakuradite fed into the veins of their internal circuitry and reconverted it into usable energon. While each were slightly different in appearance, their external frames shared the same basic construction. Only one had a cone-like helm while the others had black helms similar to Starscream's.

They are the remnants of the Aerospace Extermination Squadron, a Seeker clone army developed solely to assist in the military expansion of the Decepticon Empire. Even one of them were enough to lay waste to an entire Autobot infantry squad, with numerous armaments hidden within concealed compartments of their exoskeletal frames. One could only imagine how many of them could lay waste to entire planets.

Arkeville stood in front of the unpowered bots with arms crossed. His eyes studied the entities before him. They were powerful weapons by their own right, but lacked sentience. The former CIA cybernetics chief never imagined that the AES troopers would be deployed so soon after the arrival of the NSA team and their allies.

"And I had such grand plans for you..." he said.

Overhead, the ceiling doors which kept the laboratory hidden separated. In just one click of a remote, what was once six lifeless beings soon came to life, their optics lit dark red. Supercharged backpack engines flared up and launched their bodies skyward. Smoke trails billowed behind the drones as they they flew out to Shinjuku with one mission: to seek out and terminate the Autobot forces hidden in the ghetto.

**End of Chapter 4**

* * *

****

Author's note:

I decided to introduce some additional characters from Code Geass since they will be playing roles that will intertwine with the paths of their universe and those of the TF universe. After reading the previous chaps over I grew a little concerned over the lack of a back story.

Also, I did some research on Omotesando Mall and it is an actual shopping area that exists within our universe in Tokyo. I reminisced on the days that I would tag along with mother and she would ask me for advice on how she looked in the clothes that she bought from various outlets. Strangely enough, she referred me from time to time as her unofficial 'fashion consultant', even though my taste in modern fashions is severely lacking. While the story itself will be plentiful in terms of action, I won't allow it to override the scheme of things in terms of plot. I wanted to give the characters a moment where they can act in a relaxed atmosphere.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to give my thanks to all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	7. Interlude: Jazz

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Jazz reflects on his newfound experience of living as a Pretender.  
**

* * *

**  
Interlude**

Through many decacycles that I've been in the service I've encountered dozens of species around the galaxy. But one of the most unique civilizations that I've grown fond of time and again is humans. I enjoy everything about them: their music, social interactions, culture, and sense of identity make them an interesting study. Oh yeah, they got slick rides too.

The moment that Wheeljack brought those Pretender shells to the outpost sizzled my circuits. I just couldn't believe it: a chance to actually experience, understand and appreciate what it feels like to be human. And now I'm actually living like one!

Of course I gotta keep my optics on the twins. Those two can be a handful of trouble if left unchecked. But then again, it's gonna be fun seeing things from a whole different perspective. If there is one human saying that I can think of pertaining to this experience, it's "living the dream".

- From the personal data tracks of Jazz, head of Autobot Special Operations


	8. Chapter 05 The Culling

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. (additional content possibly to follow) **

**Nightbeat makes a new discovery, while the Autobots receive unexpected guests.**

Story note: This chapter takes place during episode 7 of Code Geass R1. **  
**

* * *

****

**Chapter 5: The Culling**

**Autobot Outpost  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

In one corner of the garage, Nightbeat focused on the collation of different recordings related to the Orange Incident, since it would be a while before the Autobots founded any more leads on the Golden Disk. The Iaconian inspector took great pains in studying and learning about the videos through every intricate detail. Mysteries drew him in like moths to flames. They captivated him in a way where it would've daunted others. Nothing felt better for the detective than the thrill of hunting for the truth, even if he was in way over his head.

"Anything so far?" asked Prowl as he strode next to his colleague.

"Well, I can say that there's something unusual about the fiasco with this Kururugi fellow back in the settlement a few solar cycles ago. After taking a look at the footage, I examined the scene at every possible angle and founded this."

Nightbeat keyed his portable holo-terminal that displayed live footage collected from different sources around the internet and created a simulacrum of the event, which was comparable to watching the action in person. On the center the computer focused on the standoff between Zero and Jeremiah as the Knightmare force encircled the former.

"I programmed the computer to create a holographic reconstruction of the scene in its entirety based on the videos that's been recorded from different sources. Specifically news reels and digital camcorders."

"For what purpose?"

"Just watch. Closely," Nightbeat advised.

As the sequence unfolded, the segment moved to the point in which Jeremiah ordered Suzaku's release. Prowl's optics zoomed in on the event. He thought for a moment that he saw a glow around the Pureblood commander's eyes.

"Wait, go back to that scene again," the deputy commander instructed. Nightbeat rewinded the scene right to the moment where the anomaly was first spotted. Both Autobots studied the image again, up to the point where Prowl instructed the detective to stop.

"There. The rims around his eyes turned red," he pointed out.

"As the humans say: 'bingo'," Nightbeat said, leaning his elbows on the terminal to support himself.

"How is that possible?"

"Take a look again."

Nightbeat replayed the video in its entirety. When the focus shifted to Zero, the deputy commander's optics narrowed as he noticed a lens retracted from the left side of the vigilante's mask. The inspector paused the video, where the unconcealed eye glowed with a bird-like sigil. Prowl arched an optic in reaction to this new discovery. "Mind control?"

"Yep. That's how he managed to throw that contingent of guardsmen into chaos. Which means it's safe to conclude that this person," Nightbeat directed his index finger towards Zero's figure for emphasis. "-- is a very dangerous individual. It also means that our other friend over here also wasn't an insider as the news claimed him to be. That whole plot about him helping Kururugi escape is nothing more than a well-devised ploy. I gotta admit, whoever this Zero is, he's very clever making it look like this whole gig was an inside job. Remember that initial encounter when you and the team first came over here?"

Prowl nodded in response, the fight with the local military still fresh in his processor.

"I'm willing to bet seventy-five thousand credits that _that_ is how Zero managed to get those troops that were stationed in the ghetto to withdraw. He even admitted to killing Prince Clovis himself."

"After seeing this, I'm inclined to agree. I wonder if this ability of Zero's is capable of affecting us?" the deputy commander wondered, his processor temporarily lost in thought.

Nightbeat leaned back with arms crossed as he sighed. "Hard to say, though I wouldn't want to leave it out of the realm of possibility. We need to inform the others about this in case any of them has the misfortune of crossing paths with this guy."

"Of that, I have no doubt. Well done, Nightbeat," Prowl chuckled as he patted on the detective's shoulder. Just before the Autobot strategist was about to step further away, his body stuttered for a moment, which gave the impression to the detective that he was just about to collapse before the latter went to his colleague's aid.

"Whoa. You've been overworking yourself for the past several megacycles. You could at least use a recharge," Nightbeat noticed out of concern. Prowl shook his head and remained adamant in his position to stay online.

"Can't. Much as I'd like to go for a stint in the recharge berth, I gotta prep another report to send to Optimus on the next pulsewave. I have a feeling he's not going to like what we've learned so far."

"That can wait. You need to recharge."

"I'm the senior officer here, Nightbeat. I got work to do," Prowl reminded firmly.

"You're right in that regard. However, it doesn't mean I can't call Ratchet to remove you from command and haul your slaggin' hide away," the inspector countered.

Both bots remained steadfast in their positions, just before an audible beep caught Prowl's audio receptors via voice comm.

[Prowl, this is Mirage. I just spotted company outside the perimeter.]

"What are they?" the deputy commander asked, arching his optics.

Mirage's voice was grim: [Knightmare Frames, I count twenty plus.]

Prowl detected something else in the spy's tone. "Is there something else?"

[Yeah. I think I saw Decepticon aerospace troopers out in the distance.]

"What? How many?!" the deputy commander exclaimed in surprise.

[Not sure. Their cloaking fields are active. They were coming in at high speed.]

"This can only mean one thing: the Decepticons definitely know we're here. Ironhide and the others are still out there. If we drop our cloak field..." the black and white mech said vainly. Prowl did not waste another moment before he passed the order for all Autobots in the vicinity to sortie.

"Prep for combat, team! Looks like we're about to get some bad company!"  
_ _ _

**Highway 43, 17 miles out  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

Two groups of twelve Sutherlands each moved in formation by column as they proceeded into the ghetto at cruising speed. Colonel Ian Jacoby, the commander of the two Knightmare companies, was as curious as any other to find out just what exactly the Britannian forces were up against. A weathered veteran of different campaigns across the world, Jacoby held an eerie suspicion that something was amiss.

The viceroy herself admitted the possibility of strange forces operating near the vicinity of the capital based on the evidence she has seen. Thus it led to her decision to have three members of the Pureblood faction to accompany him. A decision in which he strongly opposed. After the Orange Incident their loyalty at this point remained questionable.

Jeremiah, Villetta, and Kewell were situated in the middle of the formation led by aged officer. The three stuck to themselves since there was no telling what the commander intended to do with them. After the stint with Kururugi's escape and their demotion following thereafter, they exercised caution and kept their distance from those whose fingers itched to pull the trigger on them.

"Let me make one thing clear to you Gottwald: if you or your associates do anything which I deem suspicious, I'll kill the lot of you myself. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jeremiah replied.

"The viceroy requested that I bring you along since you have some indication as to what we might be up against. So just refresh my memory, you observed Knightmare Frames that are capable of... transforming?"

Kewell interjected through the comm net: "Not exactly, my lord. However, one of the pilots that fought along with us in Shinjuku did see a Frame which transformed just before he was killed."

"All right, guess we'll see these things for ourselves, eh? Strike lead to all units: when we reach the city we'll split up into groups of three. We're going do a clean sweep and find our mysterious quarry. If there's anything you suspect that's out of the ordinary, do not hesitate to call me through the radio. Eliminate them if they show any signs of hostile intent."

"Roger," replied the other pilots in the assault force.  
_ _ _

**No-Fly Zone  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

The six air warriors dispatched from the Lukas experimental facility flew high above at 700 MPH. Their silhouettes shadowed over the gray barren landscape as sensor suites built into their bodies sweeped the area for the Autobots hidden in Shinjuku. Britannian radar nets never picked up their heat signatures since they were masked by internal cloak generators integrated into their forms. It didn't take long before their blood-red optics picked up the Knightmare force moving in from below.

{Searching for primary targets... Unidentified contacts detected from below.} one of the drones relayed.

Another flyer spotted several machinery armed with weapons moving at average speed below. {Subjects identified as terran-based mecha, Sutherland-type. Relaying visuals to central command.}  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Primary Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

In the sub-level monitor room, Starscream watched pensively as the lead Seeker drone fed images of the Britannian Sutherland force advancing through the highways. The group of bluish humanoid vehicles below remained unwary of the forces that loomed high above them. It provided a window for the Decepticons to strike first.

"Hmm. So the Britannians decided to dispatch their troops as well. How delicious, perhaps I'll use them to draw the Autobots out in the open," Starscream said with a mischievous grin.

{Additional targets identified. Unable to locate primary objective. Requesting instructions.}

"Sterilize the entire sector. Leave none alive," the aerospace commander ordered with chilling finality.

{Command directive received. Disengaging cloaking fields, commencing with operation.}

"Now then, let's see if those cowardly mechs will finally reveal themselves."  
_ _ _

**Residential Block 7  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

"Colonel, this is Hudson. I'm picking up something from above. Six unknowns at twelve o'clock high. They've divided into teams of three."

"Can you identify them?" asked Jacoby.

"I don't know, but they're coming in --- GAH!" cried one of the pilots, before static replaced the comm net. Tension gripped the minds of the pilots that were in the group led by Jacoby. Sweat beads dropped from their foreheads as the situation grew more grave by the second.

"Hudson? Matthews? What's going on out there?!" the colonel demanded. His question was answered in the form of an enemy trooper who launched an air-to-surface missile in the middle of the formation. The group broke off into two teams of six and evaded the incoming projectile before it exploded. Jacoby scanned the skies above and saw three dark blue robots in flight. Wings jutted from their backs with large engines attached near the pauldrons. Red eyes stared blankly into the space, registering no discernible facial expression.

"Knightmares that can fly?" Villetta murmured in an astounded tone, hiding the fear that lingered in her conscious, and could only guess at what these machines were going to do next.

"Clearly. Everyone take cover within the buildings. We'll blast them out of the sky!" Jacoby said.

All the Sutherlands within proximity scrambled under the protection of several abandoned structures that provided shielding against the unknown contacts' weapons. The Britannian Knightmares who had access to missile launchers with anti-air payloads were loaded for bear.  
Jacoby knew that whoever was attacking them had to

"All units: fire!" the Britannian officer commanded. He was not in the mood to see more of his troops get slaughtered. The two additional Seeker clones that accompanied its cohort from the air shot away with weapons blazing. Armor piercing bullets and missiles whizzed by at the AES troopers from the Sutherlands, the former unrelenting in their attacks against the Britannian troops.  
_ _ _

From afar, the conehead Seeker clone's artificial intelligence matrix cycled through its processor. Its optics performed a scanning sweep at the targets in below it, gauging the relative strength of its enemies. Regardless of how skillful they were, whatever resistance the Britannians intended to put out would be swiftly punished.

{Compiling threat/response analysis... }

The drone brought its shoulder cannons to bear. Energy bursts from its weaponry lanced in the Britannian force's direction. The Knightmares evaded the attacks and scattered away from the drone's line of fire before they retaliated with their own armaments.

It surmised that the Britannians would continue to shift their positions and gain whatever advantage they can over the Seekers. The clone squadron leader relayed instructions to its comrades and activated its shoulder-mounted munitions dispenser. The trio of Decepticon air troops lifted themselves into the sky and armed a series of cluster bombs to force the humans out into the open.

{Initiating tactical protocol 27. Commence aerial bombardment.}

The Seekers soon unleashed their payload as the explosives whistled loudly through the air. In mid-flight they dispersed into leaflets and dove into the Britannians' impromptu cover, which obliterated their defensive positions with relative ease. In response, the enemy Sutherland force displaced themselves again and moved to any other location within proximity where they could safely return fire against the Decepticon aggressors.  
_ _ _

All the Autobots stationed within the outpost revved their engines at high speed. Prowl led the charge with Wheeljack, Nightbeat, Trailbreaker and Ratchet in tow. Mirage and Drift were en route to combat a trio of Seekers that were attacking the other Knightmare company.

"Scrap, the fighting's already started," Ratchet said, his sensors tracking the movements of enemy forces as they engaged each other in battle. "It looks like the Britannians are barely holding them off."

Prowl asked: "Trailbreaker, is that distress call to Jazz ready yet?"

"I'm working on it," the black mech answered back.

"Hurry. Everyone else, arm your weapons. Looks like the situation's about to take a turn for the worse."  
_ _ _

Three of the Knightmares from Jacoby's element launched slash harkens at the trio of air drones, which managed to latch into their armor. The zombie-like mechanized soldiers grasped the cables attached to the anchors and tore them off their exteriors. They countered with swift laser bursts which critically damaged five of the Britannian mecha. The surface of the human-manned vehicles were pierced in multiple areas before they were consumed in fiery explosions.

Jeremiah throttled on his controls and fired rounds from his Knightmare's assault rifle as he moved in reverse while one of the airborne contacts attacked him from above. The amount of damage the strange machine withstood astounded him. Lasers chipped away at the tarred roads, scorching the terrain which pushed the Pureblood farther back before he reloaded and fired again. His shots scored direct hits into the head of the Seeker, when additional ordnance struck it dead center, blowing it into dozens of scattered fragments. He turned to find Kewell equipped with an arm-mounted missile launcher retrieved from one of the wrecked Knightmares.

"Thanks for the assist," said Jeremiah.

"Don't thank me. I'm just doing what's needed to be done," the blond loyalist answered bluntly.

_These are no ordinary machines_, the former margrave thought to himself. _Far beyond the capability of ordinary terrorists to obtain._

"All units, this is strike leader. Check in."

"We're still alive, Colonel," Villetta called out.

"All systems still functioning," said another pilot.

One by one, the surviving Britannian forces regrouped themselves. Two of the Seeker clones still remained in action against Jacoby's element. The whereabouts of the other three that attacked Hudson's group remained at large. It could only be assumed that all twelve units of that team were wiped out.

_What have we gotten ourselves into?_ Jeremiah wondered to himself.  
_ _ _

"There they are!" Trailbreaker called out. When the team arrived all of them changed into robot form with the black mech ahead of them. His head emitter erected a forcefield as the group advanced cautiously towards the melee. The remaining Sutherlands under Jacoby's command fought with vengeful fanaticism against the Decepticon attackers.

The resistance that the Britannians were putting up was formidable, but ultimately futile. One of the pair of Seekers that were still online destroyed another Sutherland with a heat seeking missile fired from its left shin. Both clones' focus shifted when the group of Autobots led by Prowl came on the scene.

{Enemy forces entering battle zone. Five targets identified. Re-prioritizing...}

Prowl's unit advanced forward with Trailbreaker's forcefield protecting them. The Seekers unleashed a flurry of laser blasts and missiles that bounced from the black mech's defenses to no effect. Both froze in place as they accessed their most advanced arsenal stored within their internal circuitry.

{Combat analysis suggests combined enemy strength considerably high. Initiating tactical upgrade.}

The remaining troopers quickly unveiled a series of weapons hidden from within their chassis. Sunburst cannons materialized on their torsos next to each side of the cockpit area. The gauntlets on both clones unsheathed blades measuring three meter that looked like they could cut through neo-steel armor. It was then that the Autobots realized they were in deeper trouble than they expected.

"Slag," Wheeljack cursed aloud. "Those are the advanced models."

"Everyone take cover now!" Prowl barked to the group, knowing full well of the capabilities of the Seeker clones based on past experience. Memory of several squadrons that laid waste to the neighboring city states of Iacon and Polyhex were still fresh in his processor. While the Autobots themselves occupied a wasteland, they were not willing to let the Decepticon air troopers harm any civilians that inhabited the ghetto without a fight.

"We're going to need some heavy firepower to take on the 'Cons and the Britannians," Trailbreaker observed.

"Not a problem, I got several of my inhibitor shells ready for all of them," Wheeljack said with assured confidence.

"Alright then, take those clones down! If the Britannians fire on us, disable them!" Prowl commanded with an emphasis on the last part of his order.

Wheeljack did not hesitate to step up first. The white Lancia fired his twin shoulder mounted launchers, unleashing a volley of gryo-inhibitor shells at one of the Seekers. He watched as the shells successfully struck their target, temporarily throwing it off balance. However, after a few seconds the clone regained its stance. The engineer widened his optics at the rapid recovery of the trooper, much to his dismay.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" exclaimed a shocked Wheeljack,

Unfazed, the Seeker flared its thrusters and sped towards the white Lancia, clutching him by the throat and lifting him off his feet. The engineer struggled to free himself from the clone's grip to no avail. He kicked his legs back and forth, fighting with all his strength to break its hold on him.

"Hang on, Wheeljack!" Nightbeat called. He leveled his photon pistol and fired several shots at the engineer's captor. Ratchet quickly joined in with his own weapons blazing away. Their blasts continued to tear off only part of the Seeker's armor plating, who continued to hold Wheeljack under its iron grip.

{Subjects identified as Nightbeat and Ratchet. Threat level negligible.}

Considering them to be of no danger, the drone threw the engineer at his two Autobot compatriots, knocking them back into the ground and rendering them unconsciousness. The amount of force the trooper used sent Wheeljack's body into the support beams of an abandoned structure, which destroyed them instantly until the foundation collapsed on the hapless bot. Prowl and Trailbreaker were the only members that were left standing. Both kept their firearms on one trooper each and let loose numerous volleys of photon blasts. Their attacks proved to have no effect as the trooper retaliated with its own firepower. The confrontation between the Autobots and their Decepticon adversaries were promptly interrupted by the continued persistence of the Britannian recon force.

"I'm taking you out, you monstrosity!" Jacoby shouted as he unveiled his stun tonfas and revved his landspinners at high speed. The Sutherland charged into the enhanced clone with reckless fervor, only to find itself at the sharp end of a gauntlet blade. The weapon was driven deeper into Jacoby's cockpit, killing him instantly before it exploded into a pile of debris.

"Lord Jacoby!" Villetta called out from her Sutherland, who emptied her rifle in retaliation. The Seeker shrugged the rounds as if they were nothing, flying towards the Pureblood before it grasped her mech by the arm and threw it into another of her teammates. The operator of the smashed mecha ejected before it went critical and blew up into pieces.

"Hey, motorhead! Why don't you try and take on me for size!" Trailbreaker yelled as he cocked back a fist and sent a swift cross against the Seeker's helm. The clone momentarily staggered back before it regained its composure and struck back with an uppercut. Its hit grazed the black mech's torso before he countered with both arms swinging. A small dish popped from its upper back and fired a sonic wave that caught Trailbreaker's audio receptors, which made the slightly stronger bot scream in pain. The clone took advantage of the opportunity and slammed one of its fists to the Autobot's helmet, stunning him into the pavement.

After Trailbreaker was knocked down, the Seeker fired its foot thrusters and launched into the air. The drone jetted towards the collapsed building where Wheeljack lie unconscious. As it shouldered its rifles and blasted the debris that covered the white Lanica to find he was still downed after having been thrown across like a rag doll.

{Subject: Wheeljack. Preparing to terminate.}

"Uhhh," groaned the engineer, his arms wobbled as he attempted to regain his composure. Just as he was about to be turned into slag, the Seeker's body was struck from behind at its head component. It was hit again two more times from the waist upwards before it exploded into dozens of fragments, as Wheeljack tilted his head and saw Mirage out in the distance with a high-powered photon sniper rifle in hand. The white Autobot collapsed back onto the terrain, his vision blurred into a world of darkness.  
_ _ _

**Residential Block 2  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11**

Draped in a massive sand colored cloak, Drift had his short swords sheathed within their scabbards. Burnt craters and smashed mechanical parts from destroyed Knightmare Frames were scattered around him. In front of the shadow warrior were three Seekers and five other Knightmares that remained of the second company. It had been millions of stellar cycles since he last saw a trooper from the Aerospace Extermination Squadron. He never suspected that he would see another one in this lifetime.

The trio of clone troopers engaged their combat enhancements like their brethren who were occupied with Prowl's group. One broke off from the skirmish as it ascended into the skies. Since Drift had only limited flight capability he could not pursue the escaped clone. Instead the white mech focused on his current situation and studied his opponents carefully. He judged the clones as the most obvious threat. The two troopers surrounded him and attacked from both sides with their wrist blades. Drift parried their attacks with ease and severed a limb from each one.

_Looks like they've improved your original design, but I am far more fleet of foot than you are._

Focusing on the disciplines he has learned prior to his transition as blademaster, Drift tapped within his spark energies and telegraphed the next attacks that the troopers launched. He clasped the arm of an incoming strike, effectively evading the blow and using the Seeker's momentum against its comrade. Both were knocked onto the ground before he unsheathed his short swords and drove them into the chassis of each one. The energies that swirled within the blades traveled throughout the entirety of their bodies and burnt out their circuits from head to toe. Afterwards, the white mech heard the clicks of numerous assault rifles pointed at his back.

"I would strongly advise against that. Lest you face the same fate as these machines over here," Drift fingered towards the two decapitated Seeker corpses on the deck. After a tense standoff, the five Knightmares took the warning to heart and withdrew to rejoin with Jacoby's element. Although he wouldn't have killed the humans, he was ruthless enough to have taught them a harsh lesson when it came to aiming their weapons on a former Decepticon. Drift discarded his cloak and transformed into vehicle mode as he sped back to the outpost, where he suspected the other clone trooper to be headed.  
_ _ _

**Residential Block 7  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11**

Only one Seeker remained from the force dispatched from Lukas International. It disconnected one of its Sunburst cannons and reprogrammed the device into an explosive mine. The drone threw the object to give itself distance from the ravenous forces of the Britannians. Within seconds the mine detonated and took out two more of the Sutherlands, forcing the imperialists to temporarily withdraw and allow it to move towards the deputy commander, who was the only bot left standing in its path.

Alone, outgunned, Prowl began compiling tactics to escape his current predicament. The strategist's train of thought was interrupted as armor-piercing munitions nicked away at his metallic skin. He responded in kind by firing a barrage of photon blasts at the perpetrators. Two of the Sutherlands from the second element ejected their escape capsules before they went critical and blew into smithereens. Another pair of Sutherlands launched a pair of missiles in his direction, forcing the deputy commander to roll to the side as he shot a volley of his own. The projectiles struck at one of the pair's landspinners, crippling the mecha from any further action.

"I don't have time to deal with you," he said bluntly before spotting the last Seeker two hundred meters ahead of him.

Prowl shifted to vehicle form and sped farther into the ghetto. The drone fired its engines in high pursuit, letting loose two missiles that trailed after the deputy commander. He tried to make a sharp turn and use the buildings as a shield against the incoming projectiles, but wasn't fast enough. The ordnance exploded behind him as he was sent flying towards the street, forcing him to change into robot mode in mid-air. The black and white mech raised his arms in front of him as he braced for the crash ahead. His chassis slammed into one of the abandoned structures with deafening impact, with a pile of debris that spewed forth as a result.

{Subject: Prowl. Current status: severely damaged. Preparing for termination...}

Severely weakened, Prowl struggled to aim his photon rifle at the enhanced Seeker drone, which continued its present course of action unhindered.

The Autobot strategist's vision began to fade in and out, static interference with his sight. He didn't have to see to know that death was coming for him.

|Warning: energon levels at fifteen percent and falling. Stasis lock imminent.|

"Guess, this is my final moment, huh?" Prowl uttered softly. His processor struggled to keep his conscious online. The conehead aimed its shoulder rifle squarely at the deputy commander's head. Without a moment's regret, the strategist waited to meet his end and join with the Matrix.

Suddenly a large block of solidified liquid formed around the encroaching drone. Afterwards, a concentrated blast of photon beams struck the block, shattering it into pieces. Prowl's optics arched slightly and he gave a sigh of relief as Ironhide, Jazz and twins lowered their weapons before the lead drone crashed into a smoking scrap heap.

"We received your distress call and came as fast as we could. Man, you really made a mess out here," Jazz whistled.

"Your timing's impeccable," Prowl jested, who never showed that even he had a sense of humor.

"Take it easy," the special ops lieutenant said, lifting the deputy commander back on his feet. "We'll discuss this further when we get back to base."  
_ _ _

**Highway 43  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11**

The existence of not one, but two unknown forces operating near Tokyo clung to Jeremiah's mind greatly. After having bore witness to the recent skirmish, the threat that these groups posed to the safety of the civilian population within the capital was far too great to ignore. This was evident enough in the strength displayed by the Seekers of the Aerospace Extermination Squadron and the Autobot forces that were in hiding. Only five of the twenty-four mecha dispatched into the ghetto remained, including the three Pureblood loyalists.

After Jacoby's swift death at the hands of one of the flying mecha, Jeremiah quickly assumed command and ordered the withdrawal of the surviving Sutherlands. Based on performance alone, the humans realized they were outmatched in terms of technology. The fact that there were different types of weaponry the unknown Knightmares used amazed him. Forcefields, lasers, and other devices, all beyond what the Britannian regulars had at their disposal.

The Purebloods were going to have a difficult time explaining such a significant loss to the viceroy. Whether she would punish them or allowed them to live remained to be seen. Nonetheless, the fact that they survived an encounter with these unknown forces meant that it is possible Jeremiah and his cohorts would see more action against these machines in the future.  
_ _ _

**Autobot Outpost  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11 **

Ironhide went to work fanning the flames and smoke that were rampant throughout the outpost. His right-hand retracted itself into a blaster which discharged chemical retardants, eventually wiping out the fires that threatened to spread out beyond the garage. Drift occupied himself moving some wreckage, including the dismembered parts of the last clone trooper which he swiftly terminated. All of the Americans that were still at the outpost managed to survive the attack and assisted in the retrieval of whatever they could scrape up.

"We can't stay here any longer," Prowl said. Most of the members of the Autobot/human expedition formed a circle around the deputy commander, as he nursed his arm while Ratchet tended to his wounds. "Ow!"

"Hold still for a moment, will you?" Ratchet demanded, as he flared the fusion torch to repair the severed wiring and circuitry which protruded from the strategist's limb.

"They really did a number on us," Wheeljack said, battered and worn out like many of the other Autobots who fought in the skirmish.

Trailbreaker walked towards the group, and had a grave look on his face that did not bear good news.

"How badly were we hit?" inquired the deputy commander.

"Bad. Those aerospace troopers wrecked the communications array and the transwarp control rods. We're stuck here," the tall black mech replied. "And they trashed the recharge berths, too."

"Meaning it will take longer for our internal systems to affect repairs before we are fully recovered," interjected Wheeljack.

"This is the kind of day in which I could _really_ use some high-grade," Prowl whispered softly, pain welling up in his processor as Ratchet continued on his repairs.

Trailbreaker followed through with some good news that lightened the mood. "On the flip side, the money shipments and other human equipment are still intact within their respective containers."

Prowl nodded. "That'll do. We're going to have to move out now. Salvage what you can from the enemy wreckage. Both the Knightmares and the Seeker drones. Wheeljack, do we have any holo emitters?"

"We got enough for just ourselves and the containers," replied the engineer.

"Mount them into the hover crates. We'll tow the cargo to our new hideout," said the deputy commander. "In the meantime, we'll split up into two groups. One led by Jazz and Spike, the other led by me. When we pass the perimeter of the capital, we'll blend in with traffic and regroup back at our new location. Once we arrive we'll set ourselves up from there."

Without delay, the expedition team packed up whatever remained of their outpost leaving little to no evidence of their presence in the Shinjuku ghetto.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Primary Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Starscream surveyed the destruction from one of the hacked Britannian spy satellites and frowned in disappointment. The aerospace commander hoped that the AES troopers would take down the Britannians and the Autobot interlopers in one fell swoop. Due to the resilience of Prowl's team, the opposite occurred instead. Surviving witnesses from both groups of the battle meant trouble.

Regardless, there were plenty of opportunities to get rid of the Autobots and crush the Britannians. Though he would have to do it soon before Megatron founded out that Starscream openly broke infiltration protocol. There was nothing worse than irritating the warlord before the Decepticons managed to achieve their ultimate goal. The urgency of the situation demanded an equally lethal response, in the form of five of the Decepticon army's most deadly and loyal troops. All he needed was a window of opportunity, where all hell would be unleashed upon the unsuspecting human populace and their saviors.  
_ _ _

**Nova Station  
Mars**

Back in the Transformers' own universe, within the confines of the Sol System, a massive structure circled around the red planet far beyond Earth's reach. The installation was constructed out of ships decommissioned from the Autobot expeditionary fleet to accommodate a base of operations where it would serve as a stopping point for friendly starships to resupply. With the loss of Cybertron as a habitable planet, the remaining forces under Prime's command were forced to scavenge resources on non-populated worlds and reposition towards areas where the Autobots could mobilize quickly in the event of a galaxy-wide crisis.

The station itself was named after one of Optimus' predecessors, Nova Prime. It was constructed as a dedication to the one Cybertronian leader whom Autobots and Decepticons alike consider the pioneer of space travel. None knew of the former scientist's fate, and it remains a mystery to this day. His innovations and contributions in the field of technology led to the development of the devices which both sides use for practical applications such as the transwarp engine.

On the lower decks of the installation, Perceptor adjusted his monocle as he immersed himself in the data displays. The dimly lit space of the science quarter of Nova Station reflected on how the introverted scientist lived in his little world. In his ultimate pursuit of scientific knowledge, the universe is his play pen. Such a vast workspace gave him room to dabble in new developments, new inventions, and new technologies.

A holo avatar of Optimus Prime materialized on the grid display next to Perceptor's workstation. The scientist turned to face the commander with due diligence. From what he could see the Autobot leader appeared distressed.

"Greetings, Optimus! I was just about to contact you."

"Status report on the new transwarp module?"

"Ah, yes. I was just about to start test trials with Cosmos."

There was a momentary pause between the two mechs before Optimus spoke the next word that threw the renowned scientist off-guard.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to send him sooner than expected. Communication's been lost with Prowl's unit on the other side. He was supposed to have forwarded his latest report on the last pulsewave."

"What? How long ago?" asked Perceptor.

"Approximately forty cycles ago."

"Oh my. This does not bode well indeed."

"We need to re-establish communications with his team as quickly as possible. I'm forwarding the quantum energy signature to your workstation for Cosmos to use on his trip. Make sure he understands the priority of the mission."

"Very well, then. I shall have him prepare for departure right away."  
_ _ _

In the center of the lower platform below Perceptor's workstation was Cosmos, a communications tech who was one of the few space-flight capable Autobots that can achieve escape velocity from the Earth's surface. The little mech propped himself up as his head spun around his body checking out the new modifications on his exoskeleton. His UFO alternate form was equipped with experimental state-of-the-art sensor arrays designed to scan and study different space-based anomalies. However, given his occupation, his true capabilities lie upon the advanced communications suite integrated within his body's circuitry. This gave the Autobots a significant advantage in intelligence and inter-operations capabilities, allowing them to coordinate their tasks with uncanny precision.

"Cosmos, it looks like we'll have to dispense with the test trials," Perceptor told Cosmos in a frank tone.

"Something going on?" the comm tech asked innocently.

"Urgent call from Optimus. Your presence is required to re-establish communication with Prowl's unit in the other dimension."

"But we haven't even conducted the actual test yet!" the green mech protested with a worried look on his faceplate.

"I know, hence the urgency of your immediate departure. We have friends who are in dire need of our aid, and you are the only one equipped with a portable transwarp module that is capable of breaching into other dimensions unassisted."

The green mech shook his head in resignation and surrendered himself to the inevitable. He gave out a sigh of exasperation: "Alright. Give me a moment while I prep my equipment."

"I'll shall prepare the coordinates for you. You'll be positioned approximately 200 miles away from the Earth's moon. Once you arrive you'll need to ascertain the status of the team. In the meantime, is there anything you need?"

"Just send me the telemetry and I'll be on my way."

Within a period of fifteen minutes Cosmos was geared up for his upcoming task. Traveling through space alone was one thing. Utilizing an untested device when it hasn't even passed the trial phase yet scared him out of his mind. He prayed that once Perceptor's invention was triggered he wouldn't be vaporized into dozens of molecules upon arrival to the other dimension.

"Are you ready, Cosmos?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," the minibot said, mustering his confidence.

Perceptor keyed the coordinates into Cosmos' processor, bracing himself for the act to come.

"Stand by for transwarp in three, two, one..."

The minuscule figure of the comm tech was bathed in a bright blue glow as the portable module swallowed him into nothingness.

**End of Chapter 5**

* * *

****

Author's note:

The first part of this chapter was interesting to do. I wanted to portray Nightbeat in a fashion where he would remain true to his character: the lone wolf 'I'm gonna figure this stuff' out kinda bot.

Being an avid comic reader, during the War Within series (before Dreamwave became defunct) the AES troopers were a prominent element in the third saga. To this day, it was never explained how Megatron managed to obtain such a huge army of clones. Or how they managed to communicate, though I would surmise some form of limited telepathy or radio communication but that remains speculation at best.

{} I used these brackets to signify the method of communication between the clones themselves  
as well as illustrate their thoughts, since they have no real sentience like the Transformers do. In the comics they're not exactly the vocal types either.

On a side note: Nightbeat will also be doing more detective work in the foreseeable future along with Spike to follow up on a certain lead.

For the next chappie Marissa, Jazz and the twins will be taking a little trip and... let's just say that it's not going to be pleasant. This will probably be a two-parter.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to give my thanks to all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	9. Chapter 06 Field Trip, Part 1: Inquiry

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

Rated: T for violence and language.

The Autobots and NSA agents take a tour at Lake Kawaguchi to fish out additional clues. Spike and Nightbeat search for more leads on Thomas Arkeville.

* * *

****

**Chapter 6 - Field Trip, Part 1: Inquiry**

**Train 7  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

"Fifty," Sideswipe said as he tossed a few poker chips on the table.

"I raise fifty," Jazz interjected, gently pushing his stack of chips forward.

"Two hundred." Sunstreaker added afterwards.

In a reserved VIP room of the train Jazz, Marissa, and the twins engaged themselves in a game of three-card brag, with a muscular Caucasian male from the NSA named Warren presiding as the dealer. Brag is similar to poker in some respects albeit much older. The betting method was also different, since all players who participated in the game had to agree to a certain ante before they proceeded any further. Marissa and Jazz were taught by Spike, who in turn was taught by former associates in the British intelligence agency MI6. This excluded the fact that the ante in Spike's game was much higher than what they were playing with. Thankfully he only played the game once, and once was enough to make a dent in his checking account.

Forty-two hours have passed since the enemy incursion into Shinjuku, which forced the Autobots to relocate to Tokyo. When surrounded by enemies out for blood in a colony where war was brewing, it's easier said than done. Thus, while the team still had a moment of reprieve they would take the opportunity to head to the most likely places where more information could be found in regards to Arkeville's contacts and whereabouts. Since he was a prominent name in the business circles of Area 11's economic affairs, the convention center hotel and the Tokyo city hall were likely starting points to continue the investigation. Marissa and Jazz's team were headed towards the former.

On the table next to the group's window were an assortment of foods, including cookies, bread, and unopened wine bottles to add to the elegant atmosphere of their travel towards their destination. The train had a posh feel to its interior, making the ride a comfortable one for the tourists. Jazz surmised that the Britannians take pride when it came to providing comforts to its passengers.

"I fold," Sunstreaker said, his defeat was inevitable as he tossed his three cards across the table.

"Same here," Jazz followed.

After several rounds of brag, only Marissa and Sideswipe remained, with the stake at three thousand pounds. Marissa raised the ante to double the current amount to see the red twin's hand. The game became a stare contest between the Pretender and the NSA field runner. Soon after, the red mech unveiled his cards one at a time, a pair of aces and one '6' card. The two Cybertronian players who folded gave mixed expressions of disbelief and disappointment, and Marissa was quick to join them.

"You slag spouting punk," the yellow Pretender hissed vehemently.

"Aw, don't spoil my fun now," Sideswipe teased. "Besides, the stakes weren't that high to begin with. Put me in a real game, and I'll be sweeping the competition left and right. With a little bit of extra practice, of course."

Shortly after the game was over, the red Pretender scooped all the chips towards himself. Prior to his days as a soldier, Sideswipe learned the art of deception and thievery like the back of his hand back when both of the Lambo twins still lived in the slums. He founded his exploits to be useful experience when it came to dealing with criminals of the underworld.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you," Jazz reminded firmly with arms crossed.

"Wow, this is a wonderful view," Marissa interjected as the train passed further outside the settlement, awed at the balanced beauty between the greenery and the city buildings below the tracks.

"Wanna take a break?" Sideswipe suggested to the group while he collected his money.

"Sure, me and Marissa need to finish up some things before we reach the hotel," Jazz said.

"Just so you know, Sideswipe: I _am_ going to get that money back from you," Marissa promised with a fox-like grin.

"You're welcome to try," the red twin laughed with a wave as he and his brother departed from the room into the passageway.  
_ _ _

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe strode their way through the different sections of the train to alleviate their boredom. As the twins moved further, Sideswipe raised one eye when he spotted a familiar female seated in the corner of the train car. She had orange hair with emerald colored eyes as she gazed out in the distance. The red twin took a guess as to who the girl was.

"Hi there," Sideswipe waved at her as she and her two companions looked up towards him. "Don't I recognize you from somewhere?"

Shirley studied Sideswipe's face before her eyes lit with familiarity. "You're the man that prevented me from falling the other day back at the mall."

"Heh, well what do you know. Interesting how we cross paths again," the red twin smiled back with a glint in his eye.

"And you are?" Milly questioned with an arched brow at the two siblings.

"Name's Chris Snyder. We're visitors from the mainland," Sideswipe began, remembering his cover story. "This is my brother Evan."

"Hi," Sunstreaker said, hands outstretched above his head.

"You came all the way from Britannia?" Milly asked, somewhat surprised. "It's been a very long time since I was last there."

"We only arrived here just recently," Sideswipe said, when he noticed a pale-looking girl that wore a French cap next to Shirley. She leaned further into her chair, obviously fearful of the two disguised mechs who presented themselves before the three women. It was clear from what he saw that the girl had a xenophobic reaction to those who appeared dangerous. Sideswipe turned back to the direction Nina faced and noticed the scowl that his yellow sibling is famous for among the Autobot ranks.

"Oh don't worry about him, he won't bite," the red twin laughed, trying to keep the petite girl at ease. He knelt down and offered his right hand as a sign of good intent. Nina recomposed herself and shook it in return.

"Your brother doesn't talk much," Shirley noted.

"He can be a bit of a grouch at times," Sideswipe said as he elbowed his twin in the arm. The latter simply shook his head and rolled his eyes in response.

"Whatever," was all that Sunstreaker managed to say.

Sideswipe offered his hand to the Ashford student council president. "And you ladies are?"

"I'm Milly," said the blonde as she shook his hand. "This is Nina," the Ashford student council president gestured to the smaller girl with the cap before she pointed to the bare-shouldered woman. "And this is Shirley."

"Pretty names for pretty ladies. May we join you?" Sideswipe asked politely, ever the suave mech that he was back on Cybertron.

"Certainly, you two seem like interesting gentlemen," Milly said. To her, this moment presented an opportunity to mingle with the twins, since her parents kept bombarding her with men whom she had no interest in. This was exemplified by the fact that she would always play cruel pranks against her potential suitors every chance she got, and she savored every second of those moments. In addition, she thought the twins to be kind of cute.

"You wouldn't mind telling us what you do?" Shirley queried.

"We're promoters of the music industry. Our older brother is something of an enthusiast when it comes to that stuff," the red mech admitted, since he knew full well that Jazz was fond of Earth music; specifically rock, metal and rap. Though Sideswipe could not ascertain whether or not the girls were ready for Jazz's musical tastes due to the risk that it might be somewhat too 'new wave' for them. Still, it gave the two brothers a chance to expand their horizons and strengthen relations with the humans further. It proved to be a good social exercise that would benefit them in the near future.  
_ _ _

Back in the VIP compartment, Marissa and Jazz fiddled over the final details before their eventual arrival at the hotel. Files and photographs were laid out in sequential order, alongside blueprints detailing the hotel's structural layout and security systems. It was a big place and there was much ground to cover, especially since the significance of the day made it all the more important to complete their objective undetected.

"Fenette has an employee who works for him since he is the direct representative of the Britannian government in Area 11's economic affairs. Goes by the name Frances Meier. Chip hacked into his personal file and found some strange things that stood out," Marissa said as she reviewed the information.

"What did he find?" Jazz asked.

The field runner brushed her hair with her left hand as her fingers drummed on the photograph of their suspect. "Well, he checked out Meier's account and saw some periodic bank transfers that repeats every fourteen days in seventy thousand pound increments."

Jazz nodded as he cupped his chin pensively. "That's quite a bit of cash flowing in there. Could it be Arkeville that's giving him the money?"

"Not sure. That's what we need to determine when we get there. Since the annual sakuradite summit's today the likelihood of him being in his office is slim to none since he'll be busy handling whatever's going on in the conference. That will give us some leeway to see if he's got any additional leads that we can follow up on once we get to the hotel, though we can expect that security's going to be tight. However, we got something that'll be able to help us out a little bit," Marissa blinked as she leaned to the left side of her chair and placed a duffel bag on the table. After she unzipped a pouch, she pulled a small plastic device that was an inch in diameter and showed it to the Autobot spec ops agent.

"What is it?"

"It's an alarm snare used by our SHADOWNET operatives in the NSA. It's designed to trigger false alarms in a building's security system," Marissa told as she pointed to two sections of the hotel's middle floors for further emphasis. "Since there's a fair concentration of security personnel we can place the snares in these sections to draw out personnel away from the offices near the conference room. Once that's done I'll sneak in and do a little digging to see if anything comes up."

"Sounds a little on the dangerous side."

"Aren't you supposed to be the type that loves danger?" the field runner contested.

"Sister, where I come from 'Danger' is my middle name," Jazz answered with a curved line on his lips.  
_ _ _

**Student Council Clubhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Lelouch was distraught at the humiliation he suffered at Cornelia's hands. If it wasn't for C.C.'s timely intervention he would've been apprehended and caught far too early before the real war against Britannia began. As much as he despised the nonchalant nature of the green-haired witch, she was necessary to his plans and provided inputs whenever Lelouch stumbled on any roadblocks, be it physical or mental ones.

After the last vestige of the Yamato Alliance were wiped out by Cornelia's royal guard, it dawned upon him that he would need an army that was organized and flexible in composition. He already had the Shinjuku crew, which proved useful in his earlier endeavors through Suzaku's rescue and the skirmish against Clovis' forces. It was through these exploits that he communicated with additional contacts on the requisition of his organization's new uniforms.

C.C. walked towards Lelouch's bed, being her usual carefree self with the same white straitjacket that she wore when the two first met in the Shinjuku ghetto. The woman jumped on it and basked in the softness of the sheets. She soon noticed that the ex-prince was packing some of his belongings for another trip, with his mask gripped firmly in his hand.

"Where are you heading off to?" C.C. asked.

"To secure a vehicle where we can move about freely without suspicion," Lelouch said.

"Another one of your escapades?"

"I am taking your advice to heart. I believe it's time that I forged an army with the building blocks that I have. Starting with the Shinjuku crew."

"Weren't you going to go on some tour to some place outside of the settlement?"

"Ah, Lake Kawaguchi," the ex-prince recalled. "I'm afraid not. Milly insisted on bringing me over to join them but I told her that I had certain matters to take care of," Lelouch answered elusively, returning to his previous task of packing his attire. "Besides, I didn't find the trip to be that interesting anyway. All it is is rabbling between greedy politicians on a resource which Britannia has absolute control over."

With a snap, Lelouch locked his carry case and stood back up at full height.

"You'll have to excuse me, I am going to make lunch for Nunnally before I head off," the ex-prince said as the portal swished open, prompting him to make his exit.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
****  
**Prowl awakened from his recharge berth in the concealed parking lot two floors below the firm. Ratchet was preoccupied in the level above repairing other Autobots after the surprise attack by the Decepticons and Britannians. Pain still etched within the core of his body as he clutched his midsection slightly.

Regardless, the strategist stood up on his feet and looked around himself, only to face empty halls with dim lighting. While it wasn't as spacious as the Shinjuku outpost, the expedition had to make do with whatever real estate they had available. Prowl limped along to check on the status of everyone else that was in the vicinity. He was grateful that Marissa founded a decent hideout where their presence remained hidden from the local population.

When the elevator shaft Prowl stood on reached the first sub-level he spotted Wheeljack analyzing different screens from a grid display. The engineer turned around after the clamor of metallic footsteps inched closer towards his direction to find the deputy commander roaming about. Afterwards the Lancia rotated his body back to the display that he invested deep interest in.

"Good to know you're finally online," the white mech said when Prowl stood next to him.

"Something happening?"

"I'm picking up a faint pulsewave from beyond the Earth's atmosphere. It's encoded with an Autobot signature."

"Put it through," Prowl ordered as he leaned against the terminal. He was surprised at the familiar ping of the signal being sent from above the sky and curious as to who the sender was.  
_ _ _

**Alternate Earth  
Sol System**

The minuscule bulbous flying saucer form of Cosmos orbited the only inhabited world in the Sol system. After a momentary recharge for the past day and a half near the sun, Cosmos circled around the coordinates over Japan. He was thankful that the transwarp journey to the alternate dimension didn't turn him into cosmic dust. Though it did drain a fair amount of energon since the module was linked to his internal circuitry.

Cosmos sent another pulsewave via a tight narrow beam transmission from his comm suite, which was encrypted and could only be authenticated through select protocols which decoded the message and allowed the Autobots to communicate when distance and environmental conditions became an issue.

"This is Cosmos to any friendly Autobot forces, please respond."

Dead silence.

"I repeat: this is Cosmos to any friendly Autobots planetside, please respond."

"Cosmos? Is that really you?" beckoned the familiar tone of Prowl.

"Well, my paint job's still good," the mini bot joked.

The deputy commander replied gleefully through the static. "It's good to hear another friendly voice."

"Optimus was worried about you, so I got sent over via transwarp to this dimension to check in on you. What's your current status?"

"Right now, we're in bad shape. We got caught up in a skirmish between Decepticon and Britannian forces, so we had to relocate elsewhere. We're lucky we even managed to pull through in one piece. Our transwarp rods have also been destroyed, and we have no way of getting back to the other side."

"Well, since I'm here right now, what do you need? I might be able to lend you some help."

"Stand by, I'm going to forward the last report from the last two solar cycles along with some new intel."

"I can open a small dimensional aperture and relay the information you need to send me."

"Good. Optimus is going to need to see what we've got for him."  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Hotel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11**

Upon arrival, Marissa and Jazz went their separate ways along with their assigned teams. The latter joined with the Lambo twins to accompany the group of tourists as they strolled around the vastly massive hotel. While the Autobots preoccupied themselves in whatever wonders the hotel had to offer, the NSA operatives went straight to work.

Agents McCormick and Warren followed Marissa as they traced their steps towards their intended destination and stumbled upon a security checkpoint. They presented their fake I.D.s and placed their bags on the conveyor belt scanners. All of them obeyed the guards that were on duty, and were subjected to body searches to determine if they hid any concealed weapons. After the search was complete, the security detail allowed the American operatives to walk through with no hassle.

McCormick and Warren separated from each other until they headed into select spots designated by Marissa back during the brief on the train. From their pockets, each agent pulled an alarm snare and strategically placed them in blind spots where the hotel's security cameras could not see them. After they moved away, the two junior agents tapped into their earpieces, prompting Marissa in morse code that their tasks were complete.

Upon the signal she pulled a remote and triggered the snares, initiating a silent alarm function of the building's security system. Guards scrambled towards the locations of the disturbances, allowing her to move to her objective without anyone in the way. She stopped short in front of a door with a keypad lock, and pulled out an OPSAT module identical to the one Spike used in his most recent mission. She was thankful that the NSA's gadgets were capable of different feats that others could only dream of.

After she hacked the keypad, Marissa gingerly snuck through the office without drawing any further attention. In the space was a computer terminal in the middle atop Meier's desk. She turned on the terminal and inserted a viral USB module which Chip created that allowed her to break into the machine without a hitch. While she wasn't as skilled a hacker as Chip was, she was technically proficient enough to work her way around.

Her hands worked on the keyboard furiously as she navigated her way through the suspect's e-mail account. She sifted through the computer's different file directories, which contained financial records and messages to various contacts. Marissa widened her eyes as she spotted something peculiar in the computer's hard drive.

"Hello? What's this?" Marissa chimed as she struck another key on the keyboard.

"Did you find something, Marissa?" Jazz called.

"It looks like a NOC list from what I'm seeing. Unfortunately it's only half of it."

NOC is a term coined by the U.S. intelligence agencies as 'non-official cover'. It is utilized by agents that are inserted into different countries and operate under different the guise of a position which hid their actual profession as spies. While it would be useful in determining if the persons listed were part of Arkeville's organization or engaged in transactions with it, this particular fragment wasn't enough to provide anything definitive and would have to be analyzed back at the firm.

"What else do you see?"

"This half of the list gives code names of the undercover operatives. The other half is encrypted. I can't break the encryption here."

"Do you have any means of copying the file?"

"Hang on, there's a small mini-disc on the desk."

Marissa inserted the object into the CD drive and tapped a few more keystrokes before the computer began the process of copying the file. With the assistance of the USB module's hacking function it only took a few seconds to copy the contents of the file onto the disc itself. Afterwards she ejected the object and placed it into her suit pocket. She was also quick to disconnect the hacking module and erase any evidence that she tampered with Meier's workstation.

"Alright, I got the data. Breaking off now," she said as she darted out of the office like a gazelle.  
_ _ _

**City Hall  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike was seated in the passenger side of Nightbeat's vehicle form, while the inspector's holo-avatar occupied the driver's seat. Holo-matter avatars were used by the Autobots as an alternative to the Pretender technology and facsimile clones introduced by the Decepticons. They were capable of assuming the appearance of any local lifeforms, whereas the Pretender shells were limited in their ability to mimic just one lifeform. The primary advantage was that since the user's core conscious was transferred into the avatar, it was equivalent to the actual user himself being present. The drawback of the technology was that it left operatives vulnerable to weapons that were capable of harming holo-matter.

Nightbeat positioned his vehicle form in the parking lot within a sea of cars that were scattered all over, obscuring the peripheral vision of anyone who might suspect the driver to be something other than human.

"Should I go like this?" Nightbeat asked as his holo-avatar took the guise of the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, with a smoking pipe that hung from his lips. Spike wondered in his mind if this was the Cybertronian's way of joking.

"Funny but no," laughed the SEAL, appreciative of his cohort's sense of humor.

"How about this?" the inspector chuckled as he altered his appearance once more into something more sensible. The avatar wore shades and had an outlook of a modern detective from the 90s. It wore a black leather jacket which gave the holo-avatar an interesting sense of style.

"That's fine. Just try not to startle them," Spike advised.

"Do I ever?"

Spike shook his head and proceeded inside to the structure with Nightbeat following behind.  
_ _ _

"Hi, is Mr. Fenette in the office?" Spike inquired to the secretary.

The youthful brunette faced the pair while adjusting her glasses. "I'm afraid he's occupied at the moment. Do you have an appointment?"

"Nicholas Lumberg and Michael Whittington, Tokyo Police Department," Nightbeat spoke in a casual tone as he presented a holographic badge out of his 'jacket'. "We just need to ask him a few questions."

"I'm sorry, but he's busy at the moment. And unless you have a warrant, I can't allow you to come through," countered the secretary.

"Miss, we really need to talk to him," Spike said as he leaned his arms against her desk. Her resistance was starting to grate his nerves. "He's not being charged with anything. We need his help in an investigation."

"Is there something going on?" asked a man, who emerged from the office behind the secretary. He was a heavyset fellow, shorter than Spike by at least several inches. It was the same person whom Nightbeat and Spike had sought in order to fish out information.

"Greetings, Mr. Fenette. Detectives Lumberg and Whittington of the Tokyo police," Nightbeat began promptly. "We're just here to ask you a few questions."

"I see. Please follow me," Joseph complied. The NSA liaison and the Cybertronian inspector followed the official into his workspace. It was ornate with numerous certificates that adorned the walls. Whatever the man did made him quite an accomplished individual that somewhat impressed Spike.

"Would you like anything?" the Britannian official offered.

"Water will be fine," Spike said. He noticed a portrait behind Fenette's desk. He and his wife stood shoulder to shoulder, with a young girl that had orange hair which was mid-length to her waist. Her face was brightened with a broad smile on her lips. "That your family?"

"Yes," smiled Joseph. "Are you married, Mr. Whittington?"

"I... was," Spike told truthfully. "Things got bad between me and my wife."

"Oh?" Joseph intoned.

"Occupational hazard. My job requires me being away from home a lot," Spike added.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Joseph said with his back turned, the flush of water flowing in a plastic cup as it dispensed. "I suppose it's something we have in common, since my position requires me to be away from my family as well."

"I couldn't agree more," Spike replied.

"On to business, then. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence here today, gentlemen?" the official asked the pair, handing Spike the cup.

"We wanted to ask you some questions about a certain associate that you had contact with a while back. Goes by the name of Thomas Arkeville."

"Ah, yes. I remember him. I managed the requisitions of mining equipment that I purchased from his company while I was still heading Geoscape. Uh, Lukas International if I recall correctly."

Spike dug in further, watching the man's body language and crafted his next question with care. He wanted to dig deeper to see if the man hid anything. Nightbeat kept an eye out as well, positioned at the office door to prevent any intrusion from outside and to keep Fenette inside.

"How long have you known him?" Spike asked.

"Only for three years after the occupation began. Seems like an intelligible fellow," Joseph answered frankly. "Though he can be a bit blunt at times. Last time I saw him was at a press conference back at the convention center hotel in Lake Kawaguchi last year. May I ask what this is about?"

"We're doing an investigation and Mr. Arkeville's name came up. It involves certain... questionable activities which he may be involved with," Nightbeat answered.

The business official nodded in understanding, despite the fact that Spike already knew about Arkeville's volatile nature of late. From what both the SEAL and the inspector observed there was nothing in Joseph's behavior that indicated any sort of lie. "I see. I always knew there was something suspicious about him."

Nightbeat followed up with his next question. "Is there anything else you can tell us? Something that can help us any further?"

"Maybe," Joseph humbly answered to the inspector. "My assistant, Frances Meier has been acting strange as of late. There was something peculiar about his behavior that I couldn't quite put a finger on."

"Such as?" the Cybertronian pressed onward.

"I think he's been doing some illegal activity behind my back. Normally he's an honest man like myself but in the past several months he grew more irate towards me and other officials here in the city hall. I'm guessing it might be connected to personal issues," Joseph suggested.

"May I ask what they are in particular?" Spike inquired.

"His divorce with his wife stripped him of everything he had. House, kids, the whole works. Right now he loves to gamble a lot. I kinda feel sorry for the chap."

While the questioning rolled on, thoughts arose in Spike's mind regarding his son. He wished he could see him right now and hold him in his arms. When the mission was over he would pay the boy a visit back in Maryland with his mother. Just looking at the photograph of the Fenette family gave him a case of nostalgia.  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Hotel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

The Autobot Pretenders sat alongside the members of the Ashford student council for lunch. 'Jerome' offered to pay for the food since he was the oldest of the bunch but the girls politely declined. For the Lambo twins and Jazz it was a nice change of pace after the long train ride to the hotel and the encounter with hostile forces in Shinjuku two days earlier.

"So you're their older brother?" Shirley asked.

"Yeah, I brought these clowns along with me because I wouldn't know what to do if I left them alone back home," Jazz grinned. His answer drew giggles amongst the three students, and he mentally complimented himself. Despite the fact that he pretended to be human on the surface, the Autobot Pretender grew more appreciative of what the terrans had to offer. It reminded him of an earlier time when Cybertron was not at war.

That memory soon vanished when huge explosions rocked the hotel outside. Steel support struts that held the side bridges in place collapsed. People disguised as painters and maintenance technicians tore off their coveralls to reveal a military looking uniform. They also pulled firearms and began blasting away into the air, sending the population into a state of panic.

Every civilian inside the building were scared out of their wits, save for the Autobot trio. Their hands were raised above their heads as the uniformed soldiers hoisted their weapons to their hips. All of them were armed with automatic assault rifles, ready to slay anyone who dared to oppose them.

"Everybody lie down on the floor! As of now, we are taking over this hotel and its occupants. Anyone who attempts to resist us--" the uniformed soldier said gravely: "--will suffer a quick and gruesome death."  
_ _ _

**City Hall  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

The voice of Joseph's secretary interrupted his conversation with Spike and Nightbeat. "Mr. Fenette, there's something on the news you might want to see."

"What?"

Fenette activated the television in the corner of his office. A female news reporter with a mic in hand stood straight-faced in front of the news camera.

"This just in: terrorists from an unknown organization has seized control of the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hotel."

Images of the hostages filled the screen. From what the three individuals could see, Jazz, and the twins were in their biological disguises, hands interlocked behind their heads. As the camera panned to the left, a trio of school girls grouped with dozens of civilians. Spike recognized three Autobot Pretenders as the camera shifted focus towards them. _Oh crap... _

"My god, Shirley!" the official said with eyes widened in horror as he launched up from behind his desk.

"Come on, Mike. We better go," Nightbeat suggested to Spike, his holo-avatar clasping the SEAL by the shoulder.

"Are you heading to the convention center? Please take me with you!" Joseph pleaded.

"Sure. Come on," Spike said. Not another moment was wasted as the three departed to the location of the crisis.  
_ _ _

**Royal Transport Vehicle  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Kallen Stadtfeld and the rest of the Shinjuku resistance members traced their hands along the walls of their new hideout. Royal purple carpeting intermeshed with intricate design made the winnebago seem like a palace. Ohgi Kaname, amongst other members of the resistance group, were curious as to how Zero managed to acquire an asset. The masked vigilante elusively answered that a noble he was acquainted with owed him a favor. Of course, that in and of itself was a lie. The attention of all the occupants inside the vehicle were diverted when a news blurb came up on the television in the main lounge area.

"I'm standing live in front of the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hotel. The hoteljackers identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front and have taken members of the sakuradite allocation meeting hostage. Most notably Chairman James as well as several tourists who just happened to be there as well."

The screen changed into a video recording sent by the JLF terrorists consisting of numerous civilians, including the familiar faces of Shirley, Milly and Nina. Their presence amongst the hostages drew reactions from both Kallen and Zero. The reporter continued to drone on about the situation: "This footage was taken by the perpetrators. In it, you can see Chairman James, including some students."

"From the student council!" Kallen whispered, her visage now one of worry for her classmates.

Though the Shinjuku participants could not see their leader's identity, behind Zero's mask Lelouch's face changed into one of concern. The sudden action by the former members of the Japanese military would force him to move sooner than expected. Since he had friends inside the building he would have to act lest they suffer whatever fate the JLF had in store for them.

**End of Chapter 6**  
**  
**

* * *

****

Author's note:

Three-card brag is a card game derived from the heist film _Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels_. It's a very high-risk game, which if you lose, comes with severe consequences.

For this chapter I also wanted to reveal bits and pieces of Spike's character in this AU universe not just as a ruthless and highly efficient killer, but also as a compassionate being. I'll be tapping more into that particular aspect of his persona in the future.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

I would like to thank everyone who has read this fic so far and given honest inputs of this piece. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	10. Chapter 07 Field Trip, Part 2: Showtime

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. **

**Things take a turn for the worse when the JLF seizes control of the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hotel. Wheeljack and Nightbeat face off against a formidable Knightmare called the Lancelot.**

Story note: This chapter takes place during episode 8 of Code Geass R1.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Field Trip, Part 2: Showtime**

**Food Storage Room  
Convention Center Hotel, Lake Kawaguchi**

A sense of dread filled the space where the civilians were kept hostage. On the other hand, Jazz remained his usual self: relaxed and composed. The JLF remained unaware of the fact that there were three Cybertronian veterans in their midst. Present circumstances didn't allow the Pretenders to act lest they expose themselves and blow their cover. He was tempted to try to sway the JLF captors but couldn't do so since the possibility of aggravating the Japanese soldiers would likely increase the chance of getting the civilians killed.

Nina cowed alongside Milly and Shirley. Her reaction towards the Japanese was worsened by the fact that they were well-armed and ready to kill in order to achieve whatever their aims were. Jazz surmised that Prowl knew their present situation and was working on a rescue plan along with Marissa and her two field agents, who are still unaccounted for. Unbeknownst to the troops that occupied the building, the three disguised Autobots still had access to their neural voice comm circuits, giving the expeditionary team a first-person perspective of what was happening inside. A beep suddenly caught his audio receptors as Jazz slightly turned his head, pretending that he had some form of ailment. The static that was prevalent on the comm net soon cleared when the deputy commander's voice called to him.

[Jazz, this is Prowl, do you read me?]

[Loud and clear.]

[Sitrep?]

[Me, Sides and 'Streaker are grouped with the hostages in a food storage room about twenty-five to thirty stories up. For the moment we're okay but there's no telling what the JLF's gonna do next,] the special ops agent answered as he eyed his surroundings with caution.

[Nightbeat and Spike are already on the scene. Right now Cosmos is in orbit tracking the movements of the Britannian and Japanese forces around your position.]

[Cos is here? Never mind, might wanna make whatever you're going to do snappy. I'm telling you, these guys are itching to kill. Is Marissa okay?]

[We don't know. Communications have been silent, and we're still trying to contact her. Hopefully she's roaming free inside the hotel. Right now we're working on a mission to pull you and the rest of the team out.]

[You'd be interested to know to Marissa found some records pertaining to a suspect that works for Fenette,] the special ops lieutenant said, spotting the man from the crowd. [Matter of fact, he's seated with the rest of us in here. What are we going to do about the civilians?]

[Recovery of the data in her possession is our top priority.]

[Prowl, we've got to do something. There's kids and elderly people in here!]

Jazz never was fond of Prowl's silence when it came to tense situations like the one he and the twins were in.

[We'll do what we can. In the meantime, sit tight and keep us posted of any changes.]  
_ _ _

**Outer Perimeter  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11**

A massive crowd of onlookers were shocked at the chaos of the events inside the convention center hotel. Armed sentries formed a wall to prevent anyone from entering. Joseph and Spike strode through the population right towards the people in charge of security. From what the chief liaison could see, a detachment of Knightmares had weapons at the ready. They were placed behind the infantry that had already barricaded the path towards the main bridge which led to the hotel. The SEAL also spotted a gruff-looking figure that stood a little more than six feet in height and bore a facial scar across the bridge of his nose. He wore a maroon coat and had a mane of blonde hair. The NSA liaison guessed that whoever the man was commanded the Britannian garrison that formed the perimeter around the command post.

Joseph, in a panicked state, shoved aside the numerous civilians that were part of the spectators. Spike pursued the official, remaining calm in the face of the current disaster. He had to leave Nightbeat behind so that exposure to the Britannian garrison remained minimal. After all, it only took a glance from the SEAL to notice that the situation was currently far beyond the pair's capabilities.

About a mile out near the fenced area, Spike observed a large tracked fortress that with a bridge atop the vehicle and turret mounts positioned in different sections around it. The fortress was guarded by several Sutherlands armed with assault rifles in a U-formation that shielded the mobile base. The hoteljacking was big enough to warrant the attention of the local military.

Spike didn't have to see that Fenette's mind was ridden in fear. Though the official held no qualms against the Japanese, the current hostage situation changed his outlook entirely. One of the armed guards who formed the perimeter blocked Joseph with his assault rifle. Fenette yelled in desperation as he tried to breach through, resisting the efforts of the security personnel holding him back. "Let me through! My daughter's in there!"

"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot allow you to pass," replied the guard, whose voice was by the helmet he wore.

"I'm the economics advisor to Vice Minister Lowell! Let me talk to your superior right now!"

"Joe, there's nothing we can do here. The military's got this in hand. Let's leave it to them for now," Spike advised.

"I don't care! I want to know if my daughter's alright!"

Spike already concluded there was no reasoning with the Britannian prospector. He would've felt the same way if his child was in the position that Shirley was in right now. Moving away from the crowd until he was distant enough, he dialed his cell phone and donned his earpiece. Once the line connected he went straight at the Autobot deputy commander with a barrage of questions. "Prowl, this is Spike, I assume you've heard about the hoteljacking?"

"Yes. It's looking pretty grim right now. Jazz and the twins are locked with the civilians in a concealed space on the hotel's upper levels at gunpoint. I suspect Marissa and her team are still free inside the building since they're unaccounted for, so we still have a chance of getting the rest of our people out. We also have Cosmos overhead to provide data feeds for us and maintain our comm links."

"Alright. What's the status of the hostages?"

"They're safe for the time being. I've sent Mirage, Wheeljack, and Trailbreaker with agents Delacruz and Farmer to help you. The rendezvous coordinates have been forwarded to Nightbeat along with maps and structural blueprints to download into your PDA."

"Any indication of the number of hostiles that are inside?"

"Based on thermal scans we estimate the JLF strength to be at least a hundred and fifty troops."

Spike raised an eyebrow at the announcement. "Did you just say a hundred and _fifty_?"

"Affirmative. We've also received intelligence that the viceroy herself is over near the immediate area and is in command of the Britannian forces."

"Princess Cornelia? No wonder there's so many of the imperials here, since this whole ordeal seemed big enough to capture the attention of the government. Why aren't the Brits doing anything?" Spike wondered as he stared at the rampant activity right ahead. The guards remained unflinching in their position to prevent anyone from getting out or coming in through the main bridge that led to the hotel.

"Chip hacked into the garrison's communications logs. Every rescue operation that the Britannians attempted has failed. I would surmise that based on the current situation the Japanese has measures in place to counter whatever any military action the Britannians take against them. Just recently the imperials sent a small contingent of Knightmares through the underground utilities tunnel, but they haven't checked back in yet. There's a possibility that we might have a hostile down there that will prevent us from entering the hotel unless we remove it."

"Which means we'll need to act in the Britannians' stead if they're not going to raise a finger," the liaison concluded. "Prowl, I'm gonna make one thing clear: you're the overall boss of the expedition but since I'm the senior guy here on site I'm gonna have to call the shots. We are dealing with a very unstable element and I'll be damned if the Japanese start killing people with our guys stuck in the middle."

"Spike, are you sure about doing that?"

"Like we got any other choice?"

From the silence, the SEAL imagined the conflict that was going through Prowl's processor, which forbade harming humans. Spike on the other hand held no such reservations when it came to killing. It was a necessary aspect in his profession which he handled time and time again.

"Alright, I'll leave the rescue operation in your hands," Prowl said reluctantly.

"You can access the utilities tunnel from outside but it will take you a little longer to get there since the Britannians are stationed above."

"We'll be waiting for the others at the tunnel," Spike replied as he terminated his call.  
_ _ _

**Royal Transport Vehicle  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Lelouch suspected that his half-sister Euphemia was amongst the hostages at Lake Kawaguchi. It was the only possible reason he could think of that explained why Cornelia didn't take any further action. The Shinjuku resistance members were arguing whether or not they should commit themselves to the situation and rescue the hostages from the grasp of the JLF.

"It's a shame really. They had it coming to them," a certain hothead named Tamaki blurted. In spite of him being a member of his group, the man's impulsiveness and violent tendencies slowly began to draw the ire of Lelouch. The terrorist was lucky that the ex-prince hadn't bothered to dispose of him yet. "I say we should just leave them to their fates."

Ohgi, a former schoolteacher turned freedom fighter, was conflicted as to what action they should take. On one hand he disagreed with the idea of interfering with the JLF and leave the civilians to their fate. Though his conscious clung at the fact that there were students amongst the hostages. There was no need to guess that regardless of age of occupation, the terrorist leader Kusakabe was intent on getting the political prisoners under Britannian custody freed by any means necessarily, which included sacrificing unarmed innocents.

"I'm not so sure about that, Tamaki. Whatever they're hoping to achieve out of this will hurt them in the long run."

"What does it matter? Those people still Britannian!" Tamaki countered, his hatred of the oppressors of the Japanese ever apparent.

"Ohgi, how many explosives do we have?" Lelouch inquired.

"Enough to take down some armored divisions. What did you have in mind?" the man asked. He and all the other members of the Shinjuku cell turned to the caped individual whom they remained suspicious of regardless of their recent struggles against the imperialists. Lelouch had plenty of tricks up his sleeve to get themselves out of a bind whenever their backs were against the wall. Considering their experience working alongside him, they might as well have called the prince a sorcerer.

"Round up some bombs and arm yourselves. We're going to the convention center hotel," Lelouch said firmly. "There is something that I need to confirm."

"You can't be serious! The army's got the entrance under tight reins, and we'll never be able to get through to them!" Kallen protested hotly, unaware that Lelouch was formulating a rescue plan of his own. Thus, the Britannian progeny countered with a straightforward reply. "You're wrong."

The participants of the meeting were surprised at the definitiveness in his voice.

"I will confront Cornelia and offer her a bargain she can't refuse. If what I suspect is true, then she will allow us to reach the hotel unharmed."

"How do you know she'll even let us through?" Ohgi asked. "She has the royal guard with her, and the likelihood of them killing us is high."

"Because I believe she has someone important inside that hotel," Lelouch answered.

Kallen gave him a quizzical look. "Someone important? Who?"

"A person which she holds very dear to her. That is why we will go."

"And if she doesn't?" Ohgi inquired.

"Trust me, she will have no alternative," Lelouch grinned behind his mask.  
_ _ _

**ASEEC Trailer  
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi  
**  
Situated away from the G-1 mobile base where Princess Cornelia and her entourage operated in, Suzaku stood anxiously with arms crossed. He didn't take the news of the hoteljacking very well, since it was compounded by the fact that the girls from the student council were amongst the hostages inside. Desperation clawed at his conscious, as he wanted to help rescue them. Regardless of good intent, the viceroy herself was oblivious of the fact that he had friends inside the building.

As the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corp's star pilot, Suzaku held no qualms about sacrificing himself for the defense of others. He was somewhat glad that he didn't go with them, but was also fearful of the fact that his countrymen were ready to kill the hostages at the drop of a hat.

Lloyd Asplund, his sponsor and immediate superior in charge, were making adjustments alongside his assistant Cécile Croomy on a new weapon called the VARIS rifle. It was a hand-held blaster of great destructive capability, which could tear through the thickest of armor with its different munitions, including anti-materiel rounds.

_They still don't trust the Japanese_... _If only they could be more reasonable and see that I just want to help... _

Noticing the look on the test pilot's face, Cécile climbed down to the lower platform and stood alongside her compatriot. Having worked alongside her for only a few weeks, Suzaku regarded her as something of a sister figure. Before then he was the only child of Japan's last prime minister before the empire took over and colonized the island nation. If there was anything he needed now, it was a need for action. Standing idle and doing nothing while his classmates were at gunpoint was not something he would not tolerate, regardless of the reason for such a drastic measure.

"Still worried about your friends inside?"

"Very," Suzaku told her truthfully. "I just wish that they'd understand that I'm not in this for the glory."

Cécile was sympathetic of Suzaku's plight. Even though he held the rank of warrant officer in the imperial forces, the racism against honorary Britannians like himself still dominated the behaviors and attitudes of the empire's military arm. Nonetheless, the boy adhered to his personal principles and hoped to change Britannia from within. One memory of his tragic past which haunted him time and again led him to his current mindset. He could do nothing but feel pity for his fellow countrymen, since he knew that what they were trying to accomplish would be fruitless in the long run.

"I don't see the point of them doing this."

"It's understandable," his female companion interjected. "Right now the viceroy is working on trying to get those civilians out."

Suzaku's impatience was wearing down upon him. "What could possibly keep them from doing anything?"

"I'm not certain. But I did overhear that the viceroy is mobilizing her forces for an offensive action in the utilities tunnel below, so it's possible that we'll be at the forefront."

"Pray that they do it soon," the young man said somberly.  
_ _ _

**Utilities Tunnel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

Nightbeat, Trailbreaker, Wheeljack and Mirage were parked at the entrance of the utilities tunnel farther away from where Cornelia's forces were located. Their position was camouflaged by a stationary holoemitter, which was placed within the center of the group. Two of the human agents, Delacruz and Farmer, unpacked a sealed metallic container and inputed their combinations into the locking mechanism. Spike stood beside them with arms crossed, dressed fully in his black suit used during the mission at Lukas International. The case opened fully and revealed an arsenal of gadgets and tools, including armaments to bring along for the rescue operation.

"All right guys, listen up. We have six people inside the hotel, three that are amongst the hostages taken from the train. The Britannians got troops garrisoned in front of our objective, and we've got intel that the viceroy herself is also among them. The of purpose of her presence there remains unknown, and so far she hasn't shown any signs of further action. Since Agent Faireborn and her crew are still unaccounted for we'll be coordinating a mission to get our guys out," Spike said stoically.

"Trailbreaker, you'll move alongside Mirage and jam the communications inside the building while he conducts recon ahead of you to scout the enemy's position belowground. Wheeljack and Nightbeat will be running interference on the streets above in case the Brits decide to send their goons to interfere with us in the tunnel or anywhere else. We need to keep them away until we complete the extraction of our personnel."

"I managed to whip up some EMP grenades in case we come across any trouble," Wheeljack uttered as he handed them to Mirage. "It's the best I could do on short notice, so don't let them go to waste."

"Our point of entry will be the utilities tunnel and the maintenance bridge which is used for supply trucks to ferry equipment and commercial goods. Since the cellulars and radios are gonna be jammed we're left with satcomm capability. Your voice comm circuits should be able to work with our gear, am I correct on that?" Spike asked Wheeljack.

"Yeah. Since Cosmos is overhead our communications assets are interfaced through his systems which make our radio equipment cross-compatible with each other. It'll help us keep in touch with our people who are keeping tabs on the Japanese inside the structure," the engineer answered up front.

"Guys, I'm not going to lie to you: this is going to get ugly." Spike noted. "I was hoping to avoid a confrontation with the Japanese but it looks like that it isn't going to happen. And if we're going to save the civilians and our people by weeding those terrorists out, so be it."

The three humans checked their weapons and loaded magazines into their Glocks equipped with flash suppressors. P190 submachine guns with integrated silencers and 40mm grenade launchers were hoisted to the sides of each man as they stuffed spare clips into their suit pockets and vests. Afterwards the trio hoisted their weapons onto their backs and donned their masks for the confrontation ahead.

"Ready?" Spike said as collective nods from those that were present shook in agreement. "Alright then, let's move out!"  
_ _ _

Mirage rode through the tunnel in vehicle form at 50 mph. His form blended in with the environment as he advanced cautiously before he detected an unknown contact farther towards the entrance that led to the maintenance bridge.

"Hang on, I'm picking up one hostile near the entry point. It's a configuration we've never seen before," Mirage radioed in to the team, his optics peered at the target towards the far end of the tunnel.

"Did it see you?" Spike asked.

"No, my camouflage system's active so whoever is piloting that thing can't see me. Stand back, I'm going to disable it."

With stealth and precision the Cybertronian spy maneuvered his way through the tunnel. The massive black Knightmare which obstructed his path gave no indication that knew he was present, since he was invisible to its sensors. From what he observed it was a eight-legged vehicle with a massive cannon designed as some kind of linear artillery piece. Mirage opened his forearm module and pulled out the EMP grenade that Wheeljack gave him. He pulled out certain components and re-modified them for use in a shell casing for his sniper rifle. Once the weapon was fully assembled Mirage sighted his target through his scope, its victim remaining unwary of its fate.  
_ _ _

Inside the Raikou's cockpit the pilot and the gunner waited patiently for another victim to cross its path. The three Sutherlands they dispatched earlier proved a small but noteworthy victory for the Japanese Liberation Front.

"I'm detecting an energy reading about 400 meters out," said the gunner.

"Out here?"

It wasn't long before they heard the shot of a loud projectile that rang out from the distance. The impact of the round was felt as the mech shuddered slightly before it crashed into the ground. Showers of sparks flew all over them when the circuit boards fried. All at once the cockpit's instruments failed, including its emergency power supply.

"The controls aren't responding!"

"Radio the others!"

"Communications inoperative! I can't reach anybody!"

The pilot slammed a fist into one of the his seat's armrests. "Damn it!"  
_ _ _

"Enemy target disabled. You're clear to move."

Trailbreaker drove forward under the maintenance bridge area with his three passengers in tow. The agents conducted a another weapons check before they disembarked and stood under the area where they would make their entry. The Autobots and their compatriots glanced at the ceiling overhead. All of them donned their masks as they prepared for their trip onto the bridge.

"That's a long way up," Farmer observed.

Spike turned to Delacruz. "You got the grappling gun?"

The Hispanic NSA operative nodded in acknowledgement as he lowered his satchel on the deck and pulled the guns with the hooks and cables attached.

"Trailbreaker, we're going to need a little hand," Spike called out.

The black mech lowered himself to get Spike and the two agents onto both his hands as an impromptu lifting platform. As he elevated his palms higher, Delacruz fired the grappling gun and latched successfully onto the maintenance bridge.

"Be careful up there," Trailbreaker advised.

Spike uttered not another word, as the humans fastened their rapelling ables before they climbed up to underside of the maintenance bridge. The trio of NSA agents quickly scaled upwards and over the rails of the bridge as they proceeded towards the stairway which led the to the basement level. When they arrived at the door Spike leaned his shoulder against the wall and moved forward. He then snuck his snake cam quietly under it and connected the spying instrument to his PDA. The naval officer spotted black boots that were polished to a mirror-like shine at the toes. After peering further below, he observed that the guardsman was situated upright from the left at attention.

After he completed his recon, Spike turned to the two agents and signaled them to back away, their weapons drawn with sights leveled at the door. He utilized another hand signal indicating that there was a single sentry standing watch at his post. His hand tested the door and noticed that it was unlocked. On the count of three, Spike slammed the door into the infantryman and knocked the hapless man unconscious. The NSA liaison pulled the man by the legs and dragged him back towards where the American operatives entered and tied him up with rope and muffled his mouth with a bandana cloth to keep him silent. He shoved into a janitor's closet to ensure that he wouldn't call for help from his comrades.

"We're in," Spike said as he climbed cautiously on the stairway to the first floor.  
Agents Delacruz and Farmer kept their fingers straight, their SMGs pointed downward to prevent each other from being struck by friendly fire, while at the same time staying sharp the moment they needed to bring their weapons to spare.

"Spike, you read me?" called a voice through the SEAL's earpiece.

"Ah Chip. Well, we're doing mighty fine over here. Save for the fact that we got numerous armed gunmen with a very angry disposition just itching to kill somebody," Spike said in a joking tone. "I take it you got some intel for us that we can use?"

"Yeah. I just found out that the guy in charge is a lieutenant colonel from the Japanese army. Goes by the name Kusakabe. Apparently he's got an axe to grind with the Britannian government since they got a few political prisoners that they want freed."

"So if we cut the head of the snake the rest of the body will follow. Any idea where he's located at?"

"The colonel's roving about for the moment. If you capture him, we may be able to get him to release the hostages."

"Being that there's more of the Japanese than us he's bound to be heavily guarded."

"I'm sure you can come up with a method or two to 'sway' him,"

"Right," Spike replied tersely. "I'll be keeping in touch."  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Hotel  
Lake Kawaguchi **

Masked by their balaclavas that they brought past the security checkpoint, Marissa and her two agents prowled through the hallways of the building, wary of the Japanese forces that were scattered in the different parts of the structure. With some daring, the three managed to procure assault weapons off of a few isolated troops. When they founded an office, the three conducted a breach and quickly shot down the defenders before they sweeped the area. They took a moment of reprieve to assemble a satcomm radio which they smuggled through the security checkpoint and prayed that their encrypted calls reached to friendlies that were on the way.

"This is Agent Faireborn to any U.S. personnel within proximity please respond," Marissa called out.

The familiar voice of the NSA chief liaison rung through the radio's speaker. "Good to hear your voice, Marissa. Where are you right now?"

Marissa checked the blueprints on her PDA to verify her team's position. "We're in one of the lounge areas, on the twentieth floor. What about you?"

"We just entered the basement level and moving up. I'm going to need your help. Is Warren and McCormick with you?"

"Yes."

"Find and seize control of the security office. We're going to an extra set of eyes to keep watch over the hotel cameras."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"There's a man named Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe who's leading the terrorists that have taken over the hotel. We need you to find his location and forward it to us."

"Will do. Any word on what's happening outside?"

"Right now the Britannians got this place on lockdown. We got some folks from the base to help get you out."

"Are we going to do anything about the tourists and other civilians?"

"At the moment, we're only here for Jazz and the twins. However, once we 'secure' the colonel's cooperation we should be able to get him to release the hostages."

Her earlier encounters with the Japanese during the day told her the contrary. "What if he refuses to budge?"

"Oh trust me, I'll find a way to persuade him," Spike answered with grim determination. Knowing the SEAL officer and his tactics, Marissa didn't even want to know what the liaison had in store for the terrorist leader. Her mind prayed that the civilians and the Pretenders led by Jazz were safe.  
_ _ _

**Food Storage Compartment  
Convention Center Hotel, Lake Kawaguchi**

"You. Your name is Jerome Snyder, correct?" one of the soldiers questioned loudly.

"That's right. What about it?" Jazz answered impassively.

"There are three other passengers on the guest list that were with you. Where are they?"

Jazz decided to feign ignorance at the whereabouts of Marissa and her team. "Don't know what you're talking about, man."

The reply which Jazz gave was responded in kind with a hit to the face by a soldier's assault rifle.

"Take him away for interrogation!" the senior officer in the room commanded.

Two soldiers walked to both sides of Jazz while he remain stunned and began to drag him by the arms out of the space.

"Hey, let him go!" Sunstreaker demanded.

"Stay where you are!"

"You know, this isn't the first time I had a gun pointed at my face," the yellow twin gritted at the JLF soldiers, his hands still interlocked behind his head.

"Be quiet and show some respect, Britannian scum. Unless you want a bullet in the head."

Sunstreaker almost forgot the fact that he was organic on the surface. While weaker in this form, the threat of being shot by the Japanese soldier did not deter him. Instead, it made him scowl at the human for even trying to bother to intimidate the warrior, who had millennia of experience compared to the soldiers that were in the room. If he was anything other than an Autobot he would've torn the the man limb from limb. However, his fighting instinct did not permit him to kill humans, but the way that the Japanese kept them caged like animals tore away at his patience.

"Stop this at once!" a feminine voice commanded.

One of the JLF soldiers aimed his submachine gun at the offending speaker. She had hair which was the same color as cotton candy. There was an air of confidence which exhumed from the young girl as she took off her glasses.

"Who the hell are you?" the soldier inquired.

"You're addressing Euphemia li Britannia, third princess of the Holy Britannian Empire!"

Her announcement among the hostages drew gasps and surprised looks all around. Jazz mentally cursed himself at the prospects of the tourists' current situation. He figured that since she revealed herself to the crowd she would be used as a means of bargaining for whatever the Japanese wanted out of the whole mess.

"How brave of you. Bring both of them to the colonel. Perhaps we should make an example out of these two since they're obviously intent on defying us," the JLF officer said. A Japanese soldier entered the storage compartment with a worried look in his eyes. The officer turned to the infantryman and asked what was wrong with him.

"Sir, I tried radioing the colonel, but he hasn't responded. I also tried calling the others that are nearby but our radios aren't working."

"Hmm. I suppose we'll have to move them. Find the colonel and inform him that we've got two prisoners on the way. Let him know that Princess Euphemia is among the pair. I'm certain he'll be interested in using her to negotiate with the Britannians to release our countrymen from prison."  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Hotel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

Navigating through the hotel's ventilation system felt akin to lab rats drifting around a maze. Spike and his team stopped at a point that led into a dimly lit space.

"Looks like they were doing maintenance up here," Farmer whispered.

Spike hooked a rappelling cable to his belt. Together with Farmer and Delacruz, the NSA liaison was lowered slowly into the ventilation shaft. Inverted, Spike carefully fished out a convex mirror and angled it against existing light that came below the ventilation tunnel. From it he spotted a rifleman who was taking a break.

"One hostile below at my six o'clock," Spike said before he swung his body in a gymnast-like fashion onto the cable, his feet propped quietly against the shaft wall while he remained suspended above the unwary terrorist.

"Say hello to the Sandman, jackass," Spike grinned as he tightened his hold and snapped the soldier's neck. The twist of bone rung aloud with a sickening crunch as the man landed in a slump onto the restroom tiles. Farmer and Delacruz lowered Spike onto the floor before they composed themselves for their next course of action.

"Did you really have to tell him that, sir?" Delacruz asked.

"It's something I say to all my victims," Spike jested cooly.

"Heh. Saw it in a movie once," Spike said truthfully.

"Spike, this is Marissa. We've breached the security office. Colonel Kusakabe is located on the thirtieth level in the main conference room."

Pausing for a moment, the SEAL checked his PDA and groaned in disappointment as he looked at his group's present location. The complexity of the path they took forced the trio to navigate elsewhere, since the blueprints they were given showed no updates that parts of the ventilation system was modified or torn down to be changed. "Damn. We're still several floors down from where he's at."

"Chip here. I managed to tap into the power grid that connects to the hotel. I'll be initiating a shutdown of the building's power supply and force it on emergency power like we did at Lukas International. The UPS will last about forty minutes and set it on secondary lighting. Since the loss of communications for the Japanese forces is lost you got an extra edge to throw them off."

"Thanks, Chip. Remind me to get you a beer after this op is over."  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Perimeter  
Lake Kawaguchi **

Apprehension and doubts hung in the thoughts of the Shinjuku resistance group. While Lelouch maintained his insistence that his deal with Cornelia wouldn't fail, there was always the possibility (in their minds, at least) that the Britannians would turn back on their word and simply slay them all. However, they clung onto their faith that their leader would pull another miracle. And miracles was something that Zero delivered in spades.

Three Gloucesters with lances moved forth in front of the news van. The one in front of the group had a white cape with antennae that protruded on the side of its factsphere helm. Air hissed as the cockpit compartment opened to reveal none other than Cornelia, who was more than eager to lay waste to the man who has slain the empire's third prince.

"Zero, I'm rather surprised that you had the gall to show yourself here. So, are you an ally of the JLF? Or are you here to help us? Regardless, our priorities take precedence over whatever you are here for. Hence, for the death of my half-brother Clovis I shall avenge him here and now!" the second princess howled as she drew out a firearm which was a musket/handgun hybrid with a bayonet tip.

Lelouch remained unwavering in his stance.

"Cornelia, which do you prefer? Clovis, who is dead? Or Euphemia, who is alive?"

The viceroy twitched at mention of her younger sister. Her mind raced on what course of action to take against the vigilante. Her musket pistol was aimed at his direction, oblivious of the fact that it was her half-brother Lelouch behind Zero's mask.

"It is within my power to save Euphemia for you."

"What?" Cornelia answered.

"I said I can save her!" Lelouch repeated firmly.

_Just as I suspected. The first task at hand is completed. You haven't changed, dear sister..._

"Alright, Zero. I'll order my forces to let you pass," Cornelia bellowed. _So that I will blast you along with the rest of those filthy Elevens into the lake as payback for the suffering you caused me and Euphy.  
_ _ __

"Spike, heads up: Zero's coming to the hotel," Chip uttered through the SEAL's earpiece.

"Zero? He's on his way here?" Spike called, astounded that the man even bothered to show up past the hotel's front door.

"Confirmed. Looks like he managed to finagle his way through the perimeter."

"Then I guess we'd better get a move on."

"There's another way through the ventilation system that you can navigate through to get to an ancillary hallway where there's only a few troops stationed."

"Copy that," Spike said tersely, the urgency of the situation prompting his team to step up their efforts.

Farmer and Delacruz exited the ventilation system with Spike coming out last. They were grateful that the lights were out, since they had night vision goggles propped in front of their faces. Five soldiers were spotted about thirty meters out. The NSA agents drew their pistols and blazed away at their targets, catching them unaware before they were felled under the fusillade of bullets. There was nothing more fearsome than enemies striking out from the darkness, with the SEAL being the most fearsome of the NSA trio. One of the soldiers who was still alive leaned against the wall and fired his SMG. The Americans hit the deck, with Spike dashing towards the shooter. He closed the distance and drew his combat knife. When he was up close to the infantryman he stabbed him in the heart, the Japanese man unable to break free of the chief liaison's strength before he collapsed onto the carpet as a corpse.

After a security sweep, Spike directed to his agents: "I want you two to head to the security room and meet up with Faireborn and her team."

"What about you, sir?" Farmer inquired.

"I'll have to do this alone. Zero is a very dangerous individual. There's no telling what he's intent on doing in this building. Hence, the less people involved, the less that. I intend to keep out of sight and try to get to Kusakabe's location before he does."

The two operatives were reluctant but obeyed the lieutenant commander's order. As the SEAL officer watched the two agents sprinted off into the darkness, he ejected a magazine and loaded a fresh one into his silenced Glock. He mentally prayed that he wouldn't have to face any more opposition towards his destination.  
_ _ _

**Command Bridge  
G-1 Mobile Base, Hotel Perimeter**

Cornelia leaned on the tactical data display on the bridge of her headquarters. Since

there was an impasse in regards to what action the Britannians should take, she figured that sending the ASEEC's Lancelot on a suicide run would weaken their enemy's position and allow her royal guard to breach and destroy the foundation block that held the hotel in place.

"We can send that new Knightmare Frame through the utilities tunnel to take out that linear cannon that's blocking the path to our objective," one of her officers advised.

The second princess nodded at the suggestion. "An interesting idea. Since Zero is inside we can take him and the JLF out in one fell swoop."

Before the command staff could proceed any further, the lights within the bridge flickered intermittently. "What the hell? What's happening?!" the princess asked in an annoyed tone.

"We're losing power to primary systems. Emergency backups coming on-line," called one of the bridge crew.

"Viceroy! We have intruders outside of the perimeter!"

Cornelia couldn't believe her ears: everything around her was thrown into chaos. "What? What are they?"

"They're Knightmare Frames of unknown configuration!"

"Mobilize the royal guard!" Cornelia boomed to one of her lieutenants.

"We can't, Your Highness! The launch bays won't open!"

"Blast them open for all I care! How is this even possible?"

"Some sort of interference is preventing our forces from moving. The only unit that we have available is the Special Corps."

_That's where that Eleven is stationed._

"It seems we have no alternative. Have the Special Corps deploy the Lancelot at once! And find out a way to get our Knightmares operational again and out in the open!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"  
_ _ _

Knowing that the Britannians were thrown in disarray, Wheeljack fiddled with his hand-held remote as his figure was safely hidden out of sight. The holoemitter which he carried with him was coming in handy, since it disguised his position as foliage and trees. Its only flaw was that like the cloaking devices mounted on starships, they could be seen if the target looked at the camouflaged location up-close since the illusion fluctuated due to the energy surges coming from the device itself. His experimental electromagnetic limpet mine was working like a charm, interfering with the imperialist forces' electronics to keep them where they were.

"There. That should keep them busy."

"Wheeljack, Spike here. What's happening out there?"

"We got the Britannians locked down for the moment. They ain't gonna be moving for a bit, but they're not going to stay that way forever."

"Keep them at bay for as long as you can until we complete extraction. Remember, it's only a delay action."

"Oh, I've got some fun stuff in mind for these guys right here..." Wheeljack smirked sinisterly.  
_ _ _

**ASEEC Trailer  
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi**

Thankful for the order to deploy, Suzaku went through the pre-checks on his mecha as he systematically activated his instruments. The suspended sakuradite cube gradually began to spin inside the Core Luminous, the energy from the mineral coursing across the circuitry throughout the advanced Knightmare. Curious as to what he was up against, Suzaku remained poised in seeking out the intruders and free his compatriots that were held up by Wheeljack's gadgetry so that the rescue could resume unimpeded.

"M.E. Boost on."

While the Lanccelot's pilot began preparations, Cécile went her way in briefing the information to the test pilot promptly. "Warrant Officer Kururugi, here are the guidelines for your mission: intelligence indicates that there are two enemy contacts within proximity of central command. It is unknown if they have any affiliation with the terrorists that have seized the hotel. Since the bulk of the main force is held up, you are the only person on station that is available in ascertaining the location of these hostile contacts. Command instructs that you disable or destroy the contacts by any means necessary."

"Acknowledged. Standing by to launch," the Lancelot's pilot replied.

As the landspinners lowered beneath its ankles, Suzaku leaned the Lancelot forward into a starting position. From outside, one would guess that machine looked like a sprinter. Its body was angled in a manner which made it appear like a runner readying himself at the starting point of a track field. The Britannian Knightmare launched forth hunting for its unknown prey.  
_ _ _

**City Limits  
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi**

Several miles away, the Autobots that were hidden within proximity of the Britannian garrison kept themselves out of sight. Suzaku had his eyes peeled for any irregularities. Despite orders from Cornelia to seek out and destroy the intruders, he decided to refrain from using his VARIS unless the situation warranted it. Civilians were populated throughout the entirety of the city adjacent to the G-1 command post.

_Huh, something doesn't seem right..._ Suzaku thought to himself.

From his monitors and displays, he noticed terrain fluctuations. Growing an insatiable urge to satisfy his curiosity, he maneuvered the Lancelot on a northeasterly heading before a ripple emitted in response to his mech's contact of the anomaly. The white Knightmare pushed forward and spotted a mech with red and green trims on its chest plate. It knelt behind layers of trees, oblivious that Suzaku was right behind him. Sensing that something was wrong, Suzaku's target turned back to find that he managed to sneak in close proximity unnoticed before it was too late.  
_ _ _

"Oh, scrap..." Wheeljack cursed aloud, before he got caught up with an uppercut that made him land on the holoemitter, effectively destroying his camouflage. Disregarding his present task, the Lancia changed into vehicle mode and rode off into the night. As soon as he was far enough he initiated the self-destruct on the holoemitter to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. He groaned as his sensors picked up the enemy Knightmare which accelerated to keep pace with him.

When he hit an intersection, Wheeljack swiftly executed a U-turn facing the Lancelot. The Knightmare's quickness surprised him. Whoever piloted the vehicle had immense skill, and the engineer knew he needed to pull some daring feats to throw his pursuer off-balance. An idea bumped into his processor as he grinned inwardly. His thought process was promptly interrupted at the rapidly closing distance of the white mecha towards him.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" the vehicle's pilot commanded.

Wheeljack remained silent before shifting gears, as the white Lancia raced towards the Britannian mech up until he was barely within several feet and banked right into another part of the city. The engineer commended the pilot's persistence. He already knew that the human was not intent on giving up. But then again, neither was Wheeljack.

[These limpet mines that you made are pretty nifty. How are you holding up?] Nightbeat radioed via voice comm.

[In a word: awesome. This is actually kinda fun.]

[Don't get too carried away now,] the detective warned.

[Heh. Nightbeat, I'm just getting started.] Wheeljack chimed as he revved his engines and sped into the night. The Lancelot was in hot pursuit, launching itself into the air to once again into the Lancia's path. Changing gears, Wheeljack moved in reverse and fired shrapnel needles to throw Suzaku off balance. The projectiles exploded into dozens of filaments, which the Knightmare blocked with some kind of energy shield.

_You have got to be kidding me... _Wheeljack thought in dismay.  
_ _ _

Suzaku grew perplexed at the sheer complexity of the movements of the vehicle which he was chasing. Whoever drove the car proved erratic but daring. Rather than using his VARIS rifle he fired his slash harkens from his wrist launchers to try to cut off any paths the suspect might take.

He throttled his mech at full speed to keep pace with the unknown vehicle.

"That driver's level of control is inhuman! Who the heck is he?" Suzaku said, his eyebrows arched into a look of surprise and annoyance.

The civilians that filled the streets panicked at the sight of the Lancia, which used extreme care in its maneuvers and didn't hit any bystanders. The night proved to be an opportunity for the car's driver to pull some daring feats and shake off the Lancelot. Suzaku leaped forward and extended its hand to catch the vehicle, grabbing it from behind

"Got you!"

Suzaku clutched the car by the spoiler. The Lancia revved its engines with as much power as it could muster in order to escape the Lancelot's grip to no avail. A launcher unveiled in front of its rear windshield and fired a lightning arc shell, which unleashed a bolt of electricity that rippled into Suzaku's cockpit. The human operator shouted and yelped in pain as the duration of the attack pressed on. The Knightmare's grip on the car gradually loosened. Using this opportunity, the Lancia transformed into its robot form and kicked away at the Lancelot's arm to break the mech's hold on it. Afterwards it launched itself back up and sprinted forth as fast as it could before the machine turned back to glance and study its enemy, while Suzaku did the same.  
_ _ _

"Lloyd, are you seeing this?" the warrant officer asked, amazed at what he was seeing.

A hint of interest accompanied the scientist's reply: "Indeed, this is quite a find. The way that this one performs is fascinating. It mimics human movement even better than what the military has thus far. I'm curious as to who the maker of that machine is."

"Lloyd! This isn't the time to pique your curiosity!" Cecile scolded aloud at her superior.

"Hehe, sorry. Keep the recording going, chap. We're going to need to analyze it for study once the fighting's over. These designs are certainly very new, and the first instance in which I've seen either one of them. Of course, they're no match for the Lancelot," the scientist said in an assured manner.

_I wouldn't be too sure about that. These Knightmares operate in a fashion much more efficient than what I've observed so far. Are there even pilots in those machines? _Suzaku wondered to himself, questions cycling through his conscious as he went after the unknown machine.  
_ _ _

Wheeljack was locked in combat with the white Knightmare Frame, and the Autobot engineer was on the losing end. Although his comrades considered him a capable fighter, he wasn't as competent in close quarters fighting in comparison to the Lambo twins. While the Lancia continued to resist the efforts of his attacker, the enemy Knightmare stood firm and launched a swift kick into the face that made the engineer wince in pain.

"There's no point in resisting. It would be in your best interest to stand down and give up right now," the unknown Knightmare's pilot told the engineer.

Suddenly Nightbeat came to the rescue and managed to lock one of the white Frame's arms before he was thrown into the dirt of the park. Wheeljack swung a jab towards the white Knightmare's faceplate only to find it parried and receive a palm to his chest, knocking him onto the grass. As the engineer recovered himself back up he fired a few shrapnel shells from his shoulder mounted launchers, which the enemy mech evaded before he was felled again by a series of devastating blows. It accelerated forward and executed a spin-kick that sent the Autobot flying before the Lancia struck into the pavement outside of the park.

Wheeljack's optics dimmed as he tried to shake off the effects of the numerous hits Suzaku landed on him. [By Primus, he's persistent...]

[I warned you not to get too carried away now, didn't I?] Nightbeat scolded as he used his arms to prop himself back up.

[Sorry, got lost in all the excitement. Look out!] Wheeljack yelled as he shoved the detective away from an incoming lance of one of the royal guard Gloucesters.

A small group of enemy reinforcements from the outer perimeter of the city next to the convention center soon swarmed around the pair. Amongst the legion of newly arrived Knightmares was Guilford in his own Gloucester, who readied his lance for a death blow. Neither Nightbeat nor Wheeljack were intent on being caught or slain by the hands of human soldiers. The thought of them being picked apart before they were turned into scrap was very unwelcoming.

"Stand down, Warrant Officer. We got the situation from here," Cornelia's personal knight Guilford radioed to Suzaku. The Lancelot operator hesitantly complied as he moved his Knightmare away for the Sutherlands to close in. Weapons were drawn and sighted at the duo of Autobot interlopers.

"I had the situation under control, sir."

"And for that we thank you. However, the viceroy commanded that we take over, since she wants to know about these new enemies of ours," Guilford said before he turned to Wheeljack and Nightbeat. "Whoever you are, I have to commend your bravado in daring to fight the royal guard. Unfortunately for you, you have no chance of escape. I suggest you surrender yourselves peacefully and bow before the might of Britannian superiority."

The arrogance that went alongside the demand by Cornelia's knight annoyed Wheeljack. _Pffft. __Superiority my exhaust pipe._

"I wouldn't be too sure of that: I still got one more surprise in store for you!" Wheeljack cried aloud as he fired his gyro inhibitor shells. The projectiles detonated in mid-air and sent a shower of sparks over the Britannian Knightmares. It was only a few seconds afterwards that the enemy pilots noticed that their tactical displays and instruments of their mecha began to malfunction and lose their balance. The resulting chaos made the engineer laugh at their predicament.

"Hmmm. Dunno about the 'superiority' part that you've been bragging about, buddy. In my opinion you still got a long way to go," Wheeljack chuckled as he blinked his optics.

[I think now is a good opportunity for us to make a break for it, before we get any further in over our heads,] Nightbeat suggested wisely.

Wheeljack nodded in agreement, the white Lancia and his blue cohort shifted back into their vehicle forms. They left the Britannians to pick up the pieces amongst themselves. Guilford initiated a manual override, which forcibly opened the back hatch of his Gloucester. He could only watch in disappointment as the pair of Autobot cars escaped far beyond the reach of the royal guard. These enemies that the empire have faced thus far were something entirely new. He and Suzaku had gut feelings that they wouldn't see the last of them.  
_ _ _

**Conference Room  
Convention Center Hotel**

Spike reached his objective unimpeded. He lowered into the prone position and extended the spy cable through the vent as his modified cell phone fed a live picture of the conversation between Zero and Kusakabe. The lieutenant colonel had his blade sheathed in his scabbard in samurai fashion, with both hands placed atop the sword's handle.

"Not good, I'm too late," whispered the SEAL as he kept watch on Zero. "Prowl, you seeing this?"

"Affirmative," the deputy commander echoed through the liaison's earpiece.

"Greetings, Colonel," Lelouch said in earnest to the Japanese commander. "I'm glad we're able to meet like this."

"It's quite an honor to see the infamous Zero in person. Though I am curious as to why you wanted to see us."

"I was hoping we could talk in a calm environment," the masked Britannian began briskly. "I would like you to join an organization that I am forming. Interested?"

"Perhaps it would help if you took off your mask and revealed yourself to us."

"Of course. However, I do have one question: just what exactly do you hope to achieve from this course of action?"

"I want the world to know that Japanese is not dead yet."

Lelouch sighed at the lieutenant colonel's answer. "How stale. Then there's no saving you."

One of the soldiers who was offended by the harshness of Lelouch's comment aimed his sidearm at the ex-prince. "What was that?!"

"You live on antiquated thinking. If you expect to survive against the Britannians through that attitude, then there is no point in allying with you."

"What exactly do you mean by that, Zero?" Kusakabe inquired.

"Simple. You're already regarded as sub-human in the eyes of the imperialists. Allowing people like yourselves in my organization would only undermine my vision of the future for this country."

"If that is what you think of us, then I shall cut you down right here!"

Kusakabe quickly drew his sword and lunged at him. The Japanese riflemen remained at attention with their weapons drawn. It saddened Lelouch that these men would sacrifice their lives meaninglessly.

Spike paid close attention to the action that followed. He heard an audible click which came from the ex-prince's mask and gave the command: "Die."

All of the JLF terrorists including the lieutenant colonel froze in place. The rims of their eyes glowed red as they turned their weapons upon themselves and followed the order without any resistance. Spike remained unflinching at the sight of the Japanese terrorists killing themselves. Though mentally he was horrified at what he had just witnessed. The 'discussion' between Zero and his hosts was promptly interrupted by JLF personnel intruding the space. One of the first soldiers that managed to barge in became shocked at what had just saw, and had his weapon pointed straight at the masked Britannian.

"Colonel!"

Annoyed at the intrusion, Lelouch fired off a round and struck the shoulder of the offending soldier. Behind him was the person whom he suspected was amongst the hostages. There Euphemia stood, composed but afraid. Alongside her was another person that Spike recognized as Jazz in his Pretender shell.

"Zero," she said, surprised at his presence.

"Calm yourselves. The colonel and the others committed suicide because they realized how meaningless this operation was."

Lelouch, after many years of felt glad at the sight of a familiar face whom he held close to heart. His mind rejoiced at the presence of the girl whom he loved as much as Nunnally and his mother. However, he couldn't reveal his true identity lest he had to kill her in order to hide the truth. "Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed at all."

The third princess found the stranger's familiarity with her odd. She allowed the vigilante to continue to speak. Jazz was taken away alongside Kusakabe's subordinates outside the conference room by members of the Shinjuku resistance as they kept watch to prevent the meeting between Lelouch and his sibling uninterrupted. Cornelia's sister didn't know what Zero had in mind for her, and hoped that it wasn't anything that involved unnecessary violence like she witnessed earlier.

"I heard that you're the sub-viceroy now, Princess Euphemia."

"It's not an appointment that I am happy with," the princess answered in a frank tone.

"No, it's because Clovis was murdered. That was my doing," Lelouch recalled. The mention of his dead half-brother felt like acid waiting to burn. "He begged pathetically for his life to the very end. He pleaded with the same tongue that ordered the deaths of Elevens."

"So is that the reason why you killed my brother?"

"No."

"Then why?" Euphemia demanded, seeking an answer from the masked man.  
_ _ _

Spike kept his eyes on the vigilante as the conversation between him and Princess Euphemia continued to unfold.

"Because Clovis was an offspring of the Britannian emperor. That reminds me... You're one of his children too, aren't you?" Zero said as he aimed his pistol squarely in Euphemia's direction. In response, Spike chambered a round into his sidearm and aimed to shoot the Zero in the leg before the vigilante lowered his gun. "I suppose for now... I will spare you. Since you're free I am going to get you and the rest of the hostages out of here."

_That's a relief, _Spike contemplated as he de-cocked his pistol.

"What about the Japanese?"

"They have already chosen their fate. We'll simply leave them."

Whatever silence was broken by a beep from Wheeljack through his earpiece. "Spike, we've got a problem."

"What is it?" he whispered back.

"The Britannians are going to send in troops any minute now. Me and Nightbeat are at our limit."

"All right. Marissa, are our guys accounted for?"

"Affirmative," the field runner acknowledged back.

"Take our agents and withdraw now to the maintenance bridge through the basement."

"Copy that," Marissa said. "What about the hostages?"

"If Zero's doing what he says he's going to do, we'll leave it in his hands for now. Too bad we won't be thanking him for it, though."  
_ _ _

After Zero announced his intent to free the hostages, all of the NSA operatives eluded the occupying JLF through the hotel's ventilation system and backtracked to the basement level. Spike spotted something that was out of place along the walls and cistern sections of the hotel which originally wasn't there upon the Americans' entry into the building. Upon closer inspection, his eyes widened in recognition of the objects that were placed at the building's support beams. They had blinking red lights with no timers on them, which meant that they could blow up at any moment. Disarming them was pretty much out of the question.

"Bomb! Get out! GET OUT _NOW_!" he shouted aloud to the top of his lungs. Not wasting another second, Spike ran like he never ran before. Those hours doing long distance runs around the Shinjuku factory paid off as he dashed fast onto the rappelling cable and slid down, not giving a damn if his hands burned along the way.

All around a cacophony of loud booming explosives went off and destroyed the upper floors. Gradually the hotel began to collapse when the outer side of the building blew up into dozens of fragments. Cornelia and Suzaku, who were displaced outside of the hotel's perimeter could only watch in horror as the building sunk slowly into the depths of the lake.  
_ _ _

**Convention Center Hotel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

The aftermath of the explosion left the hotel a smoking ruin. What arose out of the ashes shocked everyone who witnessed the scene through the news cameras and monitors across Tokyo. Those who had loved ones amongst the hostages sighed in relief at everyone who survived the endeavor unscathed. The hostages were scattered in a small fleet of inflatable craft that rode the surface of the waters around a white boat. On the bow of the vessel were several individuals clad in black uniforms, the majority of them wearing visors to shield their identities, with one caped individual in front of them. It was the familiar figure of Zero with his helmet and blue faceplate.

_Now is the perfect opportunity to reveal ourselves._

"No need to fear, my dear Britannians. All of the hostages from the hotel have been saved. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed."

The lights around the Shinjuku terror cell lit up their vessel like a school play. All of the members remained stoic and poised as Zero took center stage.

"People! Fear us or seek us, as you please! We are the Black Knights!" Zero bellowed with characteristic flair. The authoritative delivery of his speech shook the island colony to its core. All of the hostages that were rescued from the hotel watched with a mixture of awe and fear save for the three Pretenders who were amongst the survivors.

"We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield! Regardless whether they be Elevens, or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and they mercilessly executed them! It was a wanton and meaningless act. Therefore they have been punished! Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions!"

"The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever those who abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be."

_And now for the final touch._

"Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"  
_ _ _

**Utilities Tunnel  
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11 **

Both Spike and Marissa recovered and got back on their feet, with the rest of the NSA team following suit. The explosion caused the hotel to gradually sink to the lake's depths. It was an opportune moment for the Autobots to break way while the Britannians were still preoccupied with the aftermath of the explosion. All of the Third Echelon agents pulled off their masks off to get some air.

"You okay?" Spike asked the field runner.

"Yeah. I got something you might be interested in," Marissa huffed as she drew a disc out of her vest and handed it to the SEAL officer.

"What's this?" he asked while glancing at the object.

"It's a fragment of a NOC list."

"A fragment?"

"They only contain code names, professions and photographs. The real names and their locations are blocked with an encryption that I couldn't break. When I was sifting through I spotted something that you're familiar with. Remember that pilot we encountered back in Shinjuku?"

"What about him?"

"He was listed on here under the alias 'Husky'. It said for his file that he was a reservist but also operated as a mechanic for a factory in Tokyo."

"Hmm. We'll have to head back to base and see if the guys can help us in decoding the data. Come on people, let's move," Spike said, moving on to the light that led them back on the route to freedom.

**End of Chapter 7**

* * *

******  
**Author's note:

Man, this is definitely the longest and trickiest chapter I've ever written thus far. Orchestrating the battles wasn't easy, most of all between Lancelot and Wheeljack. I might have to tweak it again since I have a tendency to be finicky in regards to the action and the scenery. Hopefully future installments won't be this lengthy but again the story as it is is a continual shift.

The P190s are fictional variants of the Fabrique Nationale P90 submachine guns from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. No version of this weapon exists in real life but like anything else the possibility of its manufacture remains.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	11. Chapter 08 Balance of Power

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language. **

**As tensions in Area 11 escalate, Optimus Prime orders a task force to assemble in preparation for future combat operations.**

* * *

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Chapter 8: Balance of Power

  
**Autobot HQ  
Rocky Mountains, United States **

Chaos was abound in the holographic representation of the Earth city of San Francisco. The entire metropolis was recreated in painstaking detail from building to building, street to street. It provided the perfect setup for the Autobot forces to drill themselves in combat and maintain the sharpness of their battlefield prowess.

Deeper within the recesses of the city, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper scrambled for cover. Both were caked in dirt from heavy mortar fire and artillery shells after heavy Decepticon bombardment, as they rushed further inside towards the safety of a wrecked building. Their small size allowed them to hide their metallic bodies from the deathly gaze of the holographic simulacrum of Devestator, who was at the forefront of the attack. Half of the metropolis was annihilated by the chaotic warfare that ensued between the Autobots and the encroaching Decepticon forces.

The purpose of the San Francisco scenario was to simulate combat conditions in which the Autobots had to battle against numerically superior enemy forces. The objective for the defenders were to stave off the enemy attackers with the resources they had at their disposal under the premise that friendly reinforcements would not be able to make it in time. Considering the difficulty, it was also designed to place those not on the offensive under a lot of pressure. Terrain conditions and persistent intelligence gathering combined with sneaky tactics and steady nerves made it crucial for the Autobots to gain an advantage over their stronger foes. It also gave the peacekeepers an opportunity to practice on the teamwork aspects of their missions.

"Prepare for extermination!" the hulking creature roared.

"Got any of those glass gas canisters that you're so fond of?" Bumblebee asked of his red comrade, his optics peeled out in the distance.

Cliffjumper checked his internal armory. "I have three left."

"Alright, get your launcher ready. We'll displace to that area over there and hit him again. Hardhead?"

Hardhead, in his Stryker IFV form, fired several thousand yards away with his anti-tank cannon. The volley dented the gestalt, where his shots did little to slow its advance. Unfazed, Devestator continued to prod his way through the city. Its single-minded objective in wiping out the opposition remained its ultimate goal. The Constructicon super warrior acted as a shield for the enemy offensive as his armor absorbed the impact of whatever projectiles bounced off him. Despite the fact that it was only a training scenario, the threat that the monster posed against the entrenched Autobot forces felt real enough.

"I'm blasting at him with everything I got. This freak is more ticked off than he was before," Hardhead bellowed through his vocalizer, the noise of the battle overwhelming their conversation.

"Keep him occupied until we're in position. Cliffjumper, follow me," Bumblebee yelled through his headset as he shifted into his vehicle form with his red compatriot following. They took an alternate path which led to another concealed position where the Decepticon giant remained oblivious to their presence. The red Volkswagen went to work immediately to assemble his personalized mortar launcher.

In another block of San Francisco Hound kneeled atop a wrecked structure with machine guns blazing. Spent shell casings ejected to the ground as he continued to pummel away at the massive Decepticon warrior with little effect. The dark green Autobot jumped away from its purple plated fist before it slammed towards his firing position, smashing the building into bits of rubble. Hound promptly transformed and regrouped with Hardhead as the enemy forces pushed further into the city.

Further away from the main Autobot force's location Tracks, Gears and Huffer were entrenched behind an autocannon on a tripod mount as it mowed down any unwitting victim that dared to cross its path. The high-explosive shells they used against an advancing horde of Insecticon Swarmer clones was cut down to manageable size. The Autobot trio soon became unfortunate victims when the gestalt launched its right foot towards their position and sent the three defenders flying. The amount of strength exerted through the kick smashed the autocannon into a pile of debris.

"Hey, ugly! How about this for sore optics, huh?!" Brawn shouted aloud as he launched a one mech assault against the lime green giant. The stocky mining engineer grabbed a steel support beam and flung it into the left optic of the green monstrosity. A red glow was replaced by a shattered gap as the gestalt moved onward. Devestator remained unrelenting in his onslaught as he plodded through the city streets like an angry bull.

"Stand back, Brawn! I'm gonna hit this creep right now!" Cliffjumper warned. His glass gas special weapon was capable of disrupting any metal surface it comes in contact with, and gradually makes the target that is susceptible to the effect brittle. Although it was meant only as a temporary effect, any follow-on attack would prove devastating to the affected target. The canister which the red Autobot fired from his portable mortar launcher flew in mid-air and hit the torso of the gestalt.

The gas slowly did its work and coated the gestalt in the substance. Angered, Devestator spotted Cliffjumper and Bumblebee hiding in their firing spot. He swatting the two mini-bots with a backhand into the walls of another destroyed building like insects. He proceeded towards the two downed Autobots and lifted a foot to stomp them into pieces.

Before they could be smashed under the 100-foot mech's weight it stopped dead in its tracks, a massive ion beam lanced out to the left side of its face. Devestator groaned aloud as the pain was felt throughout its internal circuitry. Another ion shot struck its right leg, shattering it and toppling the monster. The Autobots turned behind themselves to find none other than Optimus Prime, with smoke coming out of his rifle. Everything that constituted all solid objects disappeared into the familiar natural surroundings of their mountainside headquarters.

"Sorry to interrupt your training, gentlebots. Optimus' meeting is about to start in thirty cycles," Bluestreak said with arms folded across his torso.

"Thank you for reminding me," the Autobot leader replied humbly as he walked outside of the training grounds alongside the black gray mech. "We'll stop for now, Autobots. Bumblebee, I want you to go over with Hound and review on improving our tactics."

"Not a problem, Optimus," the yellow mech saluted with upbeat enthusiasm.  
_ _ _

**Strategic Operations Center  
Rocky Mountains, United States  
****  
**Four years have passed since the Autobots' last victory over the Decepticons. In spite of the fact that numerous vessels of the expeditionary fleet were decommissioned, new ships were always constantly being constructed to bolster their forces. Studying earlier engagements after the standstill in the conflict, the Autobots adopted a slightly more aggressive military posture in their fight against Deceception expansionism.

While they enjoyed the momentary peace, the lull in the war left Optimus somewhat disturbed. It all trickled down to the fact that Decepticon activity of late consisted mainly of border skirmishes and raids against Autobot positions along the farthest frontiers of space. He knew they were getting ready to make a big comeback, and wondered whether the Autobots will be able to stop them like they did before in their previous battles. Even with the vast amount of troops and starships at their disposal, he had a feeling they may not be enough.

Optimus was seated alongside Roadbuster around a monitor table with holographic projections of senior officers who led Autobot forces across the vastness of space. The red mech clasped his hands together as the meeting proceeded with due haste. Amongst the familiar faces of the Autobot leadership were Sky Lynx, Ultra Magnus, and Jetfire. Representing the diplomatic side was Skids, originally a theoretician who currently serves as the Cybertronian ambassador to other space-faring civilizations beyond Earth's solar system.

At the center of the table was Prowl's avatar, the image quality degrading due to unknown interference from the other side. All of the officers present remained still as the expedition leader presented his information with the same stoic demeanor that characterized his disposition. Next to his projected figure was a holographic reconstruction of the conversation between Zero and Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe remade from Spike's observation of them back at the convention center hotel. From their seats they could see the masked vigilante that is the bane of Britannian forces.

"As you all know, this is Zero. He is a wanted criminal by the imperial forces in the outlying colony of Area 11 for the murder of a royal family member named Clovis la Britannia. He possesses a mind control ability which compels his victims to do whatever he commands them to, as I will show you now."

The video played on as the Autobot officers kept their attention on the sequence of events that occurred. On the other side Prowl felt a dose of deja-vu just watching the JLF personnel fall before his optics. Roadbuster remained still with his green visor forward at the gruesome display of the deaths in the recording, the aftermath a testament to Zero's horrific power.

"By the Matrix..." Prime whispered quietly, as the video reached its end when Kusakabe lay slain along with his men.

Afterwards, the recording dissipated while Prowl continued onward: "He is the leader of an organization called the Black Knights. They have rapidly been gaining support amongst the Japanese population. Since then their numbers have steadily been growing ever since the hotel incident at Lake Kawaguchi. At this rate they are more than likely to become a major obstacle to our operations here in Tokyo."

"I see," Prime said as he cupped his chin pensively.

"Us facing them, along with the Britannians and the Decepticons will prove difficult with the resources that we have."

"Has there been any Decepticon activity in Area 11 lately?"

"No sir. After our last encounter with the clones in Shinjuku they have been awfully quiet. We've been maintaining surveillance on a certain associate of Area 11's economic advisor named Frances Meier. We believe he has a connection to one of Commander Witwicky's old associates," Prowl said.

"Thomas Arkeville?" Optimus recalled from his memory banks. "The man who may have aided the Decepticons in their travel to the other side?"

"Correct. Agent Faireborn has obtained hard documentation of code names of the facsimiles here on this world. Chip is working on deciphering the locations and names of our quarry. As of now we are working on a sting operation to capture Meier and bring him in for interrogation."

"Excellent. Keep us apprised of any changes."

As Prowl's avatar faded away all of the remaining commanders tended to current affairs within their areas of responsibility. While the Decepticons were spread throughout the far reaches of space, they were far from being any less dangerous than they were when the Great War first began. The decisions that the Autobot leadership would make would determine the starting factors in the battles to come.

Optimus spoke up first. "Everyone, it would appear that the situation has escalated to the point where Prowl's resources may not be sufficient enough in retrieving the Golden Disk."

"I have to agree, sir," Sky Lynx interjected. "Judging from his reports thus far, since the Decepticons have spread their influence through the other Earth's governments, it is clearly obvious that they're preparing a move to overthrow the leadership of the world's nations and invade the Britannian empire while their attention is occupied in Tokyo."

"As you know, the Decepticons hold the key to the restoration of our homeworld. We must recover whatever data is stored on that artifact at all costs," the Autobot supreme commander said. "And we must prevent Megatron from using the disk's information against us."

"We still have the upper hand against them," Ultra Magnus reminded. "Since they're scattered across the galaxy they are unable to make a concerted effort against us. Compounded by the fact that there's a vacuum in their leadership, they're pretty much divided amongst themselves."

That fact remained true. After the disappearance of the Decepticon warlord and his loyalists, the remaining commanders of his army continue to vy for power and take the reins of leadership. Their different stances on the approaches of how they were to lead the Decepticons to true glory was what kept them .

"Recommendations?"

"I suggest we mobilize a task force of several starships, fighter squadrons, and cargo vessels to ferry troops and equipment. I also recommend that we select a site with available real estate and establish defensive emplacements prior to our arrival to this alternate Earth," Sky Lynx advised.

Prime contemplated on the resources that were available to their forces. The Autobots held a presence in fifty-three star systems, thirty-eight which had planets with usable energon. However, a rare mineral called tricorium was required to be able to utilize the time jumping ability. Starship transwarp engines utilized tricorium during the transwarp process that allowed the vessel initiating the jump to travel over to any time period. The larger the starship, the more tricorium that had to be consumed in order to safely reach the destination. Two planets out of all the worlds that the Autobots colonized contained this mineral. Although they were large planets with a large quantity of tricorium, the availability of this unique resource was enough to fuel only one third of the Autobots' current fleet for time travel and would have to be used sparingly.

"Sky Lynx, do we have any starships that have tricorium in stock near the Sol System?" Optimus directed at the space forces commander.

"Presently, the _Arbiter _and the _Pioneer _are the two closest ships we have with tricorium near your location_. _The _Jolan, _the _Forager_, and three frigate squadrons are several light years away. At standard cruising speed they'll be in proximity within three solar cycles. However, it will take five to ten solar cycles before we can have a full task force ready at your disposal. I have mobilized the task group led by the _Torisi-Yau _in the Koalyth Sector to head towards Earth_,_" the fleet officer replied as he took a cursory glance over his information displays. "Based on computations and assessment of available assets near Sol, we have enough tricorium for an armada of at least twenty-seven starships to make a trip over to the other side."

"Very well then. I also want you to dispatch the Aerialbots to our location. And have Silverbolt bring Omega with them."

The space forces commander arched his gold visor in surprise. "Sir?"

"I am taking precautions," Prime assured his subordinate. "Whatever the Decepticons have in store for us in Area 11, I want to be ready."

Sky Lynx silently nodded in agreement.

"What is the situation on the other fronts?" Prime continued.

Magnus arose and stood tall before he gave his report: "I've been informed by Hot Spot that the Protectobots and the Omnibots have secured the Stunticons and the Terrorcons. They have placed them into custody and are en route to Garrus-9 as we speak. However, the Combaticons, the Constructicons, Scorponok and Shockwave's forces remain at large. We have several frigate squadrons on the lookout in case they pop up anywhere."

"We could dispatch cruisers from the Luminos Sector to help in tracking them down," Sky Lynx suggested to the security forces commander.

"Assistance from those ships in their capture would be highly appreciated," Magnus smiled at his colleague.

Optimus turned to Skids next. "Any word from our allies on the matter of support?"

The ambassador spoke up next: "The Zenkethi, the Taelorians, and the Bolomites have agreed to supply us with intelligence on Decepticon activity on the Far Rim. They are also willing to commit several of their ships in maintaining border patrols and keeping all trade routes open."

"Jetfire, what is the status of the new experimental weapons system?" Prime asked the director of the Experimental Weapons Command.

"We're conducting tests near the Iaconian Shipyards. It will take some time before we have a prototype that is fully operational," Jetfire replied.

Prime arose from his chair and faced his subordinates with a stern look. "Have all fleet forces and forward combat divisions on high alert. We'll need to bolster defenses on our core starbases and planetary installations. In the meantime Skids, emphasize to our allies the importance of finding the Decepticon rogues and stopping them by any means necessary. As of now our priority remains in capturing the Megatron and his troops on the other side, and remove their presence in Area 11. Dismissed."

When the conference was adjourned, Optimus turned to the sub-commander of the Wreckers assault squad. Roadbuster was massive, only slightly bigger than Prime and lacking the compassion which the Autobot leader is known for. Though if one thing could be agreed on between the two officers, it was their commitment to getting the job done and maintaining the peace.

"Is your strike team ready?" Prime asked of his subordinate.

"At the moment the Wreckers are on standby in the _Trion_. Once the fleet's assembled we'll load our gear and head up into orbit alongside the other ships."

Optimus leaned his arms against the table, his mind pensive. Roadbuster noticed the distant look in the supreme commander's optics. While the Wreckers officer was more about action than words, this was one of the rare instances in which he paid any heed to what went on in the red mech's processor. Prime faced towards the slightly taller Autobot.

"What do you think of Zero?"

"Personally, I think this human, or whatever he is, is nothing more than a pest. If he's as dangerous as Prowl says he is, then we're going to need to muster a fair amount of botpower to take on whatever he may throw at us. That includes the 'Cons and the Britannians," the green orange mech concluded with crossed arms.

Optimus nodded, who considered the notion of facing not one but three other powers very unwelcoming. "Have the rest of the troops stock up on energon and any other essentials for our mission. We have a long road ahead."  
_ _ _

**Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Kallen's eyes remained dreary during their history lesson on the industrial era of Britannia. Her classmates joked that she was becoming more like Lelouch in terms of her sleep habits. Some girls entertain the notion that he wooed her into romancing him, and that he somehow managed to have a relationship between them without anyone seeing. The very mention of the comparison between them made her somewhat disdainful, let alone . None of the class save he knew that she was a terrorist. She regarded herself to be something of a freedom fighter.

The announcement of the Black Knights as an ally of justice caught the world by storm. Since their debut, their popularity amongst the common people skyrocketed. Even Area 11's most fearsome criminals had something to be afraid of, their numbers and activities dwindling as they faced the wrath of the mysterious Zero.

A couple of desks behind Kallen, Lelouch scrolled down the names of individual targets within his personal notebook. Several of them were crossed out in bold red, each an offender against the lower class, each punished in the Black Knights' pursuit to slay the oppressors of the weak. He stopped short at one name, a man known as Frances Meier. The list of offenses that accompanied the official's profile were a mile high. Refrain dealer, money bribing, and extortion amongst them. Meier would soon become another dead man for the Black Knights to claim. Another person to make an example out of in Zero's quest to mete out punishment to the guilty.

And it would all be in the name of justice.

**End of Chapter 8**

* * *

****

Author's note:

This is quite possibly the shortest chapter I've written thus far.

I decided to establish (or reorganize if it ever existed) the Autobot ranking structure for the intent of aligning it into the organization that I envisioned for this fiction. Since the Autobots are a peaceful faction similar in some ways to the Federation in Star Trek, I had to adjust them a little bit in order to get them to stand toe-to-toe in terms of combat prowess against whatever surprises the 'Cons got in store for them :). While they still maintain in keeping the peace, they're a little more tougher than when they first started as a police organization (if that is the right comparison) in the IDW iteration.

Commander (Optimus)  
Deputy Commander/Force Commander (i.e. Prowl, Ultra Magnus, Elita One, etc...)  
Squadron Commander (i.e. Silverbolt, Hot Spot, Red Alert, etc...)  
Group Captain/Infantry Commander (Kup)  
Sub-Commander (Roadbuster, Springer, Hot Rod)  
Lieutenant (i.e. Jazz, Hound)  
First Lieutenant  
Sub-Lieutenant (Bumblebee)

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As per usual, I would like to thank all of you who read this fic and give honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	12. Chapter 09 Playing with Sharks

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

Rated: T for violence and language, as well as some drug use.

Sideswipe plays in a high stakes card game in a sting operation to entrap Frances Meier.  


* * *

****

**Chapter 9: Playing with Sharks**

**Silver Pearl Casino  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
Sideswipe aka 'Chris' gently shook the small glass which contained whiskey before he placed it back on the poker table. The liquid swirled about while gray clouds from used cigars billowed over his table. He founded the smell repulsive and toxic to his olfactory sensors, but it didn't detract him from the game at hand. He was amongst four other players engaged in a round of brag, the current ante at two thousand pounds. He was thankful of the fact that he hid the money he had won during the train ride before the Lake Kawaguchi incident.

The red twin took cursory glances at Frances Meier, who was amongst the hostages when the crisis began, and saw him during the debut of the faction known as the Black Knights. Joseph Fenette's assistant had a scrawny appearance, with framed glasses and a diminutive stature. Sideswipe figured he wouldn't have any problems cleaning out this fellow since the man was known to have a gambling problem within the criminal underworld.

Across Sideswipe was Lord Marcus Bennington, the patron of the Silver Pearl. He wore a pre-Victorian style overcoat on his body, and had a build that was intimidating by human standards. In comparison to Meier, he was something of a bear unlike the introverted government official. The casino owner made it his business to drive everyone and anyone that crossed his path into debt. While Meier was in the deep end in terms of the amount of money he owed to Bennington, the only reason why wasn't dead yet was because of the fact that he played a role in the local criminal hierarchy. He was the middleman in several of the Britannian aristocrat's operations.

Since the two men had grown distant from each other, this clued Bennington that Meier has outlived his usefulness. Little did the Britannian noble realize that Meier was working for Thomas Arkeville, and it was Sideswipe's job to win the game in order to drag him out subtly. His processor sensed that something was amiss, and decided to keep going in order to find out what the casino owner was up to.

"I raise five hundred, open," Meier intoned as he pushed his stack of plastic chips to the center.

"Two thousand," Sideswipe uttered, as he leveled his eyes towards his adversaries. He had a good hand in play: a straight consisting of a king, queen and jack. The red twin planned to make a risky but daring move in forcing the other opponents out of play. He paid careful attention to their reactions, from the betting allotted to any anomalies that he deemed odd. Primarily in the areas of facial expressions and bodily movements.

"I fold," Meier said.

"Me too," joined two others.

"I'll fold as well. Don't go wasting all that away now, Mr. Snyder," Bennington huffed in a baritone voice. His fist enclosed around one of his most expensive cigars, tilting it slightly as it dispensed the ash contained within its bent form into the tray next to him. He, like many other members of the Britannian elite, held people like Sideswipe in contempt. The eventual outcome did not matter, for the human lord had something in mind that would send his opponents whimpering in defeat.

"The real fun hasn't even started yet," Sideswipe replied in a frank tone, eager to give all the other players a run for their money.

At the hotel adjacent to Lord Bennington's establishment a Hispanic man in civilian clothes ferried a silver briefcase, wary of his surroundings as he went through several flights of stairs. When he reached the rooftop of the hotel, he opened the contents of his cargo and changed into a dark blue tactical uniform with a bulletproof vest. Inside another compartment of the case he pulled out several components of a sniper rifle. He assembled the weapon with due haste and placed it on a bipod mount with optimal sight range.

The man peeked through his scope atop his firearm. The instrument's reticle was directed towards the general area around Sideswipe and Meier to keep them from harm. His task was to monitor activity from his position and keep an eye peeled for anything unusual. His trigger finger itched to take out someone that dared to do something stupid. The night offered plenty of opportunities in which he would get his fill of headshots.  
_ _ _

Above the poker tables, twelve masked operatives in black battle dress uniforms kept their weapons drawn. The NSA agents led by Spike knelt above the glass dome like ravenous vultures as the Pretender continued to play against the target and their three opponents. The tension of the situation didn't ease the mind of the SEAL officer.

"Trailbreaker, status?"

[I'm parked near Edison Street, near Delacruz's post,] the Autobot replied.

"Good. Delacruz, you in position?"

"Yes, sir. I got Sideswipe and the target in my sights," called the sniper.

"Alright then, stay where you are and look sharp. Everyone else, lock and load."  
_ _ _

Just a mere three tables away, Jazz and Marissa sat by themselves amidst a crowd who savored the splendor of the night. Whereas Marissa decided to wear a spaghetti-strapped dress that accentuated her figure, her Autobot colleague wore a light blue pinstriped suit that exaggerated his tastes in terms of clothing. A large auditorium with a band center stage played classical music. Many of the lights were darkened, leaving the stage the most illuminated spot of the space they were in.

"How are the girls holding up?" Marissa inquired as she sipped her margarita while watching Sideswipe from afar. Although she never met the three female students from Ashford Academy, Jazz spoke a bit about his experience with them alongside the Lambo twins. Words of praise coming from the special operations lieutenant meant a lot when it came to the nuances of human culture.

"They're still pretty shaken after that whole ordeal. Heck, they didn't even answer my phone calls or e-mails for that matter," Jazz replied. The Autobot shrugged his shoulders as he leaned his elbows against the table behind him. The theme that played in the background reminded Jazz of something but he couldn't place his finger as to what it was. It was somber but gentle. "I don't blame them."

"They could've at least answered back one of your calls."

"Best thing we can do is give them time. They're good folks. They'll come around," the special ops agent said.

On the center of the auditorium was a young, fair-skinned brunette in a glittering cocktail dress behind a mic stand. Next to her was a tall, slightly older male that wore a black dress suit with a red bowtie. Both of the humans had gleaming smiles on their faces as the audience greeted them in earnest with claps, cheers and whistles all around. Both the Pretender and his female companion figured that the two humans on the stage were famous in this part of Tokyo.

The male singer, Pharris Young leaned his face towards the mic, his voice amplified as he spoke: "I want to thank you all for coming here on this fine evening. Tonight, me and Sophie will be singing '4Ever Yours 2Night'. This one was a classic during the early twenty-first century, and I just wanted to dedicate this to all you couples that are here for this wonderful moment."

The main stage light beamed upon Sophie's slender form. Time stood still for a moment until she sang her heart out.

_The needs I have are few  
My only want is you  
I'l aware of what I've found  
You've turned my life around  
For a million times one million years  
I'll hold you near  
And I'll whisper this into your ear  
I will be yours, 4ever yours..._

Pharris followed up next, his voice deep:

_You make each day brand new  
I can't be me without you  
As your friend and as your man  
My life is in your hands  
And once I've held you for ten-thousand nights  
It will still feel like  
The first time we touched, when I said under the moonlight  
_"_I'll be yours, 4ever yours"_

When Pharris' last line finished, both vocalists sang in unison:

_As a symbol and a sign  
I have given you my heart  
'Cause I love you  
__And I need you_

_I will be yours, 4ever yours 2night_

A melody soon followed when the pianist on the stage played in sync with the chanting duo's tune.

"Hmm, this is a nice song. I remember playing the piano when I was only five," Marissa recalled from her youth. The music invoked memories which she was fond of before she served with the U.S. Marines. She never openly showed any regret of leaving her talent behind for things she grew adept at: fighting and logistics.

"I never figured you to be a pianist," Jazz teased the NSA employee.

Marissa lifted herself off the stool and offered a hand. "Care to dance?"

"Shouldn't it be me asking that question?" the white mech countered cooly. He welcomed the gesture of good will by offering his arm. The human field runner wrapped her arm around his, which he gratefully accepted. Both partners strode to the dance floor and took a stance, distancing themselves to allow some maneuvering room.

_For a million times one million years  
__I'll hold you near  
And I'll whisper this into your ear  
I will be yours, 4ever yours... _Sophie voiced, her lungs adding extra timbre.

"This ain't too bad," Jazz said as they followed beat of the music that played. "Though I'd prefer something a little more energetic."

Marissa disagreed. "I'm not too sure, this sounds like a good enough song to me."

"Meh, I could live with that," the Autobot Pretender conceded.

_As a symbol and a sign  
I have given you my heart  
'Cause I love you  
And I need you  
I will be yours, 4ever yours 2night_  
_4ever yours 2night...  
__4ever yours 2night..._

Just as spontaneous as his namesake, the band changed tracks into something that played at a faster tempo. The Autobot Pretender raised an eyebrow in delight.

"Looks like you got your wish," Marissa observed.

For this particular track, it was Pharris' turn to sing:

_In a dream I could see  
you are not far away.  
Anytime, anyplace.  
I can see your face.  
You're that special one_  
_that I have been waiting for  
and I hope you're looking for  
someone like me._

Sophie's vocals followed her fellow singer's:

_In my dreams  
I can hear you calling me  
In the night,_  
_everything's so sweet  
In your eyes_  
_I feel there's so much inside. _

Both vocalists soon followed through with a duet, which evoked the same passion as it did for their first song:

_In the nights, dream delight;_  
_I want to see you standing there._

_In the nights, dream delight;_

_I've found someone who really cares._

_In the nights, dream delight;_

_I want to see your smile again_

_In the nights, dream delight;_  
_You're the one I waited for._

As the tempo of the music changed, Jazz and Marissa followed the notes with a level of grace that belied in their skill. Their movements alternated along the length of the track, as the human spun with her Pretender colleague leading. While both savored the moment of the night's offering, the Autobot shifted his view from time to time. Sophie brushed her hair and sang to the crowd with vibrant energy.

_In a dream we can do  
everything we want to_  
_There's nowhere I'd rather be  
but here with you.  
The stars above light the way  
only for you and I.  
I'm so glad I've found the one.  
__I've been looking for._

_Keep the dream, _Pharris chanted.  
_(Keep the dream),_ Sophie repeated.  
_Of the one you're hoping for  
Love can come through an open door  
Just be strong_  
_Just be strong_

_And you're sure to find the one,  
the one, the one, the one. _  
_In the nights (in the nights), dream delights_  
_I want to see you standing there  
(see you standing there)  
In the nights...  
I've found someone who really cares  
In the nights..._  
_I want to see you smile again.  
_ _ __

**Downtown  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
Lelouch's silhouette was concealed in the alley next to the hotel. A pair of white Glasgows from the Tokyo Knight police were in the kneeling position with the cockpit hatches open. The two pilots who were on patrol were taking a smoke break. Lelouch quickly figured a way to bait them into doing his bidding. All he had to do was call out to them and reel them in like catching fish from a pond.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Need a light?"

"Sure," answered one of the policemen, who had a cigarette that hung at the edge of his lips.

The vigilante's gloved hand extended outward with a lighter that lit a small flame. The senior policeman leaned his face closer allowing his cigarette to be lit.

One of the duo exclaimed in surprise as he recognized the caped individual's helmet. "Zero!"

Both drew their sidearms and aimed them at the ex-prince. "Hands up where we can see 'em!"

"Of course," Lelouch uttered, feigning surrender to the armed men. The ex-prince complied with the police officer's commands. It was exactly how Lelouch wanted it, as the two unsuspecting individuals stepped closer, the lens piece of his mask retracted. Both men stopped short a mere few feet and stared blankly at him as their eyes glowed with the familiar red hue when under the influence of Geass.

"Are you men under Lord Bennington's employ?"

"Yes," both men answered in zombie-like fashion.

"You serve me now. I need you both to get into your Knightmares and help me capture this person," Lelouch directed as he pulled a photograph hidden from his cape.

"We will do as you command."

Lelouch flashed a devilish grin behind his helmet as he called out to his comrades. "Kallen, is the rest of the group on site?"

"Yes, we're in place and awaiting your next instructions," Kallen called through his earpiece.

"I'm coming along with some help to assist us in our endeavor."

"Help? Aren't we the only ones involved in this operation?" Ohgi inquired bluntly, his tone semi-distrustful.

"Let's just say... I decided to sway a couple of gentlemen into lending us a hand," Lelouch replied facing back to he two police officers.  
_ _ _

**Silver Pearl Casino  
****Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
The music adjacent to the play area felt strangely soothing to Sideswipe's processor.  
He proceeded to play his cards and felt that victory was within his reach.

"Twenty-five thousand."

Sideswipe arched an eyebrow in reaction to the ante raised by the mob boss. The red twin had a good hand in play, being only one of two remaining players in the game. As planned he managed to flush out Meier, leaving the only opponent left in the final round. Lord Bennington kept his cards face down and was opting for a victory.

"Fifty thousand," the red twin countered.

"One hundred grand, Bennington insisted, his victory assured. "Sure you wanna continue, boy?"

"You didn't think you'd cheat me with that little trick of yours, did you?" the red twin inquired with an arrogant smirk. He pulled the cards that Bennington flipped and showed the deception to the rest of the card players and the audience that viewed the game. The cards in the owner's hand were actually double-sided. Everyone became shocked at the revelation of Sideswipes' discovery. The Britannian aristocrat was impressed by the disguised Autobot's ability to perceive his trickery.

"Interesting. Looks like you've found me out. Regardless, I own this place, boy," Bennington thumbed to himself. "Pity you're not going to leave here alive."

The words gave Sideswipe a moment of pause: "What?"

"Well, I suppose we'll have to remedy that now, won't we?" Bennington said as he snapped his fingers. A group of armed men swarmed the table, with pistols holstered inside their jackets.

The Pretender cupped his chin pensively. "Hmmm, guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Bennington signaled one of his henchmen to kill the Pretender. Having already anticipated what was coming, Sideswipe leaned against his chair and kicked the table as he rolled backwards swiftly. While in the middle he performed a handstand and lifted himself into the air. Sideswipe gracefully landed back onto his feet like a cat.

"If you're going to kill me, you'll have to catch me first!" the red twin waved at the aristocrat mockingly as he bolted his way through the crowd. Sideswipe leaped on the shoulders of one the casino visitors, before he went out of sight from the henchmen that were scattered throughout the structure.

The Silver Pearl patron barely held his wrath. What happened just mere seconds ago astounded him. The man who dared to swindle his winnings escaped from his grasp. "GET HIM!"  
_ _ _

Jazz and Marissa stopped their dance and sighed in disappointment, witnessing the commotion close by.

"Looks like the party's over. Time to rock and roll," the special ops agent said.

Soon after they stopped a group of the gunmen that pursued the red Lambo twin headed in the pair's direction. Jazz extended a foot and tripped one of the mobsters that ran after Sideswipe.

"Whoops, my bad."

The felled man, aggravated, lifted himself back up and lunged a fist into the Autobot special ops officer's direction. Jazz sidestepped from the attack and used his momentum in executing a reversal throw upon the hapless human by grasping his wrist. The bigger man groaned in pain. If Jazz exerted any more of his strength he might have crippled the human for life.

"Sorry about that, brother," Jazz said apologetically.

"Jazz, what's going on in there?" Spike asked.

"It's a mess down here, looks like Sides' been had," the special ops agent said.

"Stay within distance. We're gonna provide cover for him now."  
_ _ _

As they bore witness to the chaos from below, the NSA assault team chambered their weapons and prepared for a breaching action into the casino. Agent Solares cocked his pump action shotgun before the Americans readied themselves to charge in.

"Sir, Sideswipe's in trouble!" Solares said.

"I know. Delacruz, open fire," Spike ordered through his earpiece.

"Roger," the Hispanic NSA agent replied.

From the distance, the SEAL overhead the sound of a sniper that rang through the air. He watched as one of Sideswipe's pursuers fell from the gunshot. Each shot was like a thunderbolt that struck from the sky, killing each of Delacruz's target with relative ease. The attack threw the Britannian mob into disarray.

"Everyone, move in now!" Spike commanded his group. Solares took his shotgun and fired at the window. Glass shattered overhead as the NSA personnel rappelled from the roof with weapons blazing against the mobsters. Solares reloaded his weapon and fired again, taking down a few of the gunmen that pursued the lone Lambo twin. Delacruz provided additional fire support from his position in the adjacent building.

"Go, go, go!" Spike said with SMG sights leveled in front of him. All of the NSA agents took cover behind various slot machines and used them as protection against the more numerous mobsters that occupied the entirety of the building.

"Team, take cover now!"

Bullets ricocheted in every direction. Spike narrowly evaded one that almost grazed his cheekbone. He fired his MP5SD in three round bursts against the nearest opposition that held his group at bay. Successful in his endeavor, the SEAL took down several enemies and signaled his element to push forward to another section of the casino and seek out their quarry. While the American operatives were spread away from each other, they did not distance themselves too far out of sight.

"Alright, split off and find the target! Once we get him we're pulling out!" the chief liaison shouted aloud to his agents. He had a gut feeling that this mission was going to be far from quick and painless. He disengaged the safety of his pistol and re-holstered it before he brought back his primary weapon.  
_ _ _

Sideswipe pounced on the various criminals that sprawled throughout the casino and attempted to block his escape route. From afar he spotted the entrance that led to the reception area of the casino. It was his one opportunity to make a break and go home free, until a line of men in suits impeded him and had their weapons pointed squarely at him.

"Now be a good lad and die," Bennington laughed gleefully.

The conversation between Sideswipe and his captors were interrupted by submachine gun fire several hundred meters away. The crowd of civilians turned to find it was none other than the Black Knights, whose faces were shielded under their visors. They were armed to the teeth and eager to deliver punishment to any criminal that dared to fire at them.

"Enemies of justice: the time for your judgment has come! Where is Frances Meier?" Zero demanded of the crowd.

"Ah, the infamous terrorist decided to grace us with his presence. Unfortunately you are in no position to demand anything. I have friends in many places," Bennington warned the outlaw.

Tremors were felt from above the casino. One white Glasgow crashed through the wall, collapsing the outer windows. The Britannian aristocrat gave a toothy grin as the mech aimed its chest turret squarely towards the intruding Black Knights.

"Kill them," Bennington commanded the pilot.

A silence ensued between the two parties. Soon afterwards the Glasgow leveled its automatic pistol not at the Black Knights, but at the people who held the red twin at gunpoint.

"What the hell is going on?!" Bennington roared in fury.

"It would appear your so-called "friends" has turned against you," the masked man taunted. "Continue this act of defiance and you will face a gruesome end. I won't ask again: where is Frances Meier?!"

In the main playing area Meier hid himself under one of the poker tables, his body shaking uncontrollably. He had no idea why there were so many people after him, let alone the Black Knights. Screams and outbursts among the civilian population that were gathered around the main lounge area filled his ears as they ran to whatever exit they could find away from the carnage.

"If you think you can just simply barge into my establishment and then walk away you are gravely mistaken. Shoot them now!"

Before any of the Britannian henchmen could take action, the Geass-controlled pilot of the Glasgow fired its armaments against the shooters and putted them out of their misery. The panicked men that constituted Bennington's security force brought out assault rifles and mercilessly blasted away at the turncoat Knightmare with everything they had to no avail. Bennington soon ended up as a victim himself when the Glasgow's ammunition pierced through him.

The NSA operatives widened their eyes in shock at the slaughter that ensued. Behind the Britannian mech was a familiar sight in which the Autobot/NSA operatives welcomed. Trailbreaker strode through and landed a fist into the factsphere sensor of the enemy Knightmare. Afterwards, the Autobot retracted his fist and fought in the defense his allies.

A phalanx of Black Knights formed a shield in front of Zero. Their firearms blazed away at their mysterious adversaries, unaware as to their purpose in the immediate area. The Silver Pearl Casino had become a war zone.  
_ _ _

"Move!" Spike shouted as he shoved Agent Solares in between the slot machines. Gunfire poured into their path as the two men dove behind the game stations and used the them as an impromptu barrier against the bullets that threatened to maim them.

The Black Knights pinned the NSA with a fusillade of gunfire. Spike led an element of four agents to break off and advance towards the lounge area, where it was shielded by a wall encirclement made of linoleum tiling. The agent following Spike tapped the SEAL on the shoulder and handed . Spike nodded in acknowledgement and pulled the pin, tossing the grenade in a bowling motion as the object rolled forward towards three of the unsuspecting Black Knights.

Machinery shattered from the barrage of weapons fire from all parties involved. Ming vases shattered into fragments from the volleys of automatics as the Black Knights intensified their attack.

"Sir, I say we split off now and draw them away. We got a few frags in hand to take down a few of the BKs while Delacruz's got them covered from above," Farmer shouted amidst the gunfire.

"Go for it! We need to disperse their fire and extract the target out of here now!" Spike replied tersely. "And whatever else you do, do _not_ come close to Zero. Understand?"

Warren nodded back, and turned to two of the NSA agents that were part of the twelve-man group as they bolted around their defense line. The three men roved through different sections of the zone. They were careful to avoid the attention of the Black Knights, whose resources were devoted in the suppression of all opposing forces.  
_ _ _

**Main Visitors Area  
Silver Pearl Casino, Tokyo Settlement  
**  
"Keep those men out of the way until we get Meier. They may be after him as well," Lelouch ordered. His mind was curious as to who the mysterious black suits were. The skill level and the speedy execution of their movements gave him the conclusion that they were special forces soldiers. It was a feasible explanation, though the weapons that they wielded were unfamiliar to him. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, and reached his nostrils.

_Why would these people be using technology that was rendered obsolete?_

Kallen crouched on one knee and reloaded her assault rifle, sending a volley in the direction of the men dressed in unmarked blue uniforms. Her element prevented them from advancing any further towards the distraught Britannian. Tamaki dashed forward to the government official and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "I got him!"

"Hurry on back!" the ex-prince called. "Black Knights, maintain fire until we clear out. Tamaki, make sure that Meier does not get out of your sight. I want to have a few words with him alone when we get outside."

"With pleasure," the fiery Japanese rebel replied.

An explosion rang through the background, sending a small number of the Black Knights upwards and back onto the casino floor. Debris flew as another grenade exploded, killing more Black Knights. The ex-prince surmised that they were no match for these strange opponents, and opted for a tactical withdrawal.

"Kallen, have your team cover our retreat," Lelouch instructed of her.

The half-breed redhead turned back to the masked leader, a worried look cast upon her eyes. "Alright. What about you? Do you want me to tag along?"

"I'll be fine. Just stay alive."  
_ _ _

Spike crawled on the deck with his pistol in hand. The gunfight that ensued between his team, the Black Knights and the local mob did nothing to deter him. He was determined to capture Meier at all costs, even if he lost an arm or a leg.

"Delacruz, where is that fire support?!" yelled the NSA chief liaison.

"There's an obstruction in the way, sir. My rounds won't be able to pierce through."

_Damn it. There's more of them than there is us. We'll need to even out the playing field._

Trailbreaker came forward, acting as a shield against the bullets in which the Black Knights showered endlessly upon the NSA and the Silver Pearl mob.

"Need a hand?" the black Autobot offered, his red visor gleaming from the various light fixtures placed around him.

"Your timing's impeccable. We gotta find Zero and his men, they got Meier in their custody," Spike said.

"Not a problem, are the rest of your people with you?"

"They're back inside, soon as we snatch Meier we leave."

Spike dashed behind the Autobot, disregarding his own personal safety in pursuit of the expedition team's objective. Whatever the Black Knights wanted, they'd have to fight to keep his target away from him. The SEAL commander wasn't about to let the terrorists walk away unscathed.  
_ _ _

Outside of the casino Tamaki dragged Meier outside where another white Glasgow stood guard. The red-headed Japanese rebel was uncomfortable at the sight of that mech, even though its weapon was locked under the cockpit.

"Please let me go! I'll give you whatever it is you want! My employer's got a lot of money," the civilian pleaded desperately. His cries for his release did nothing to sway the man who held him at gunpoint.

"Can't do that. Our dear friend Zero wants to have a few words with you. Whatever he's got in store, it probably isn't pretty," Tamaki smirked at the official. When they reached an isolated spot, a caped figure emerged from the shadows.

"Leave us," Zero commanded of his subordinate. "Greetings, Mister Meier."

"What do you want with me?"

"Information."

"I'm not sure I can do that," Meier answered with arms crossed.

"You cannot lie to my face, so you might as well answer what I am going to ask you," Zero threatened. The faceplate on the man's left eye lifted up and revealed a glowing eye with a bird-like sigil that flew. From there Meier stood helpless at power of the vigilante's deadly power.  
_ _ _

**Outside the Reception Area  
Silver Pearl Casino, Tokyo Settlement  
**  
Nearly fifteen minutes passed when Trailbreaker and Spike looked for their quarry.  
Desperation clawed at them, and the human officer wasn't in a mood to play hide and seek. It was at that very moment that he spotted Zero pointing a pistol into Meier's midsection.

"NO!" Spike yelled aloud before he saw a flash at the end of the pistol. The vigilante noticed the SEAL's outcry and dropped a smoke bomb, where his figure faded into nothingness. The white Glasgow that protected Meier and his interrogator fired at Trailbreaker first, which the Autobot knocked down as he plunged his fist into the torso of the Knightmare Frame.

The SEAL rushed to the aid of the downed official, who gradually bled from the gunshot wound.

"All agents: break off! We got the target, withdraw now! Marissa, I need you to come to our location ASAP." he commanded through his earpiece.

"I'm on my way."

As the situation worsened, Spike turned back to Trailbreaker. "We need to give him medical attention fast or he's done for!"  
_ _ _

**En route to Harker/Ferguson  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
Trailbreaker drove as fast as he could under present conditions to the nearest hospital. The surgical instruments on loan from Ratchet's medical kit worked furiously in keeping Meier's body from flatlining to no avail. Since Meier was hooked on life-sustaining plasma from an ad hoc medical kit, Spike and Marissa wasted no time in interrogating the official. Spike kept a bandage on the wound, but it kept turning redder. The appendage gradually absorbed the seeping blood like a sponge.

"I suggest you start talking, Meier. What were you doing with a NOC list at your office in Lake Kawaguchi?" Spike interrogated of the dying individual. The man's body barely functioned due to severe blood loss from the gunshot wounds inflicted upon him.

"I was... paid by a man to keep an eye on Fenette."

"Why?"

"He was... digging around, trying to find our operation," the official whispered aloud.

"What operation?" Spike asked, he leaned closer slightly to try to make out the dying man's words.

"I... don't know. He never told me what it was all about."

"Give me your contact's name."

Meier kept his silence, his vision blurring back and forth.

"Who is your contact?!" the chief liaison bellowed.

"Arkeville, Thomas... Arkeville," Meier answered back weakly, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Where is he?" Spike asked. No response came from the Britannian.

"Where is Thomas Arkeville?" the SEAL officer repeated, only to hear what he didn't want. A long beep blared through his ears. Peering at the monitors, Meier's vital functions leveled evenly into straight lines.

"He's gone, Spike," Marissa said, her face sullen.

On the spot, Meier expired before the Americans' eyes. The man's death felt like an insult to him, and Spike never felt humiliated by such a failure in his life. All he could think about was how Zero even managed to catch up to their quarry first, being outpaced not once but twice. The game was far from over, and he was not going to be outplayed three times.

**End of Chapter 9**

* * *

****

Author's note:

The song that played during Marissa and Jazz's dance is called '4Ever Yours 2Night', sung by Cynthia Harrell and Carl Anderson. The other track, called 'Dreams Dreams' was sung by Curtis King Jr. and Dana Calitri derived from the Sega Saturn classic NiGHTs: Into Dreams. I listened to this track many times past, and I figured it fitted the romantic atmosphere between the two during their little session perfectly.

There are probably several dozens of you dear readers that are thinking: "Feels kinda cheap". But then again, it works.

'Til next time...

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	13. Interlude: Lloyd

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro. **

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Lloyd gives his own take on the current conflict.  
**

* * *

**  
Interlude**

I have been investigating the recent reports of these so-called 'Knightmares' that the military has encountered of late. I'm sure the viceroy has been wondering about them as well and is searching for the means to deal with the problem to no avail. She has clearly displayed to me that they are becoming a nuisance to her operations in this part of the world. Of course, there is no easy solution to the issue at hand.

What could they be? The EU and the Chinese Federation has never been known to develop models as advanced as the ones we saw in Lake Kawaguchi. Perhaps it is the work of private corporations? Perhaps Rakshata has been hired by these firms as a developer to best my dear Lancelot?

What kind of mechanisms do they use for those mecha? Is it some kind of new cockpit where the movements of the Knightmare is controlled via a neural link? A body suit interface? Oh, the possibilities are just endless!

If we were to secure one of these machines for study, it would shed light into the mysteries that have been racking up around this colony.

- Earl Lloyd Asplund, ASEEC Lead Defense Contractor


	14. Chapter 10 Hostile Intent

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

Rated: T for violence and language.

Decepticon forces conduct raids against the other nations of the world as they prepare themselves for their future operations.

* * *

****

Chapter 10: Hostile Intent

  
**Chinese Federation Airspace  
Pacific Ocean  
**  
Massive tides raged over the waters that separated the boundary between Area 11 and mainland China. The captain of the cargo vessel _Penghu _grew wary of the dangers ahead. Heavy rains and thunderstorms made it difficult to navigate through the storm that threatened to engulf the ship in water. His troubles were compounded by the fact that two Decepticon fighter craft dispatched from an ancillary base in mainland China were about to ransack their precious cargo.

Skywarp and Thundercracker flew at 15,000 feet over the unsuspecting vessel. The signal dampeners installed into their frames shielded them from the humans' detection nets.

Soundwave was back in Tokyo providing assistance through intelligence by hacking the human satellite networks, an assurance that they would have no hassle in the completion of their present task. By the time the Chinese took notice of their presence, it would be too late for them to mount any response.

Impatience wore on the purple Seeker's processor, his eagerness to terrorize the crew of the ship tampered by the fact that they were given strict orders by the aerospace commander to steal sakuradite caches from civilian cargo ships such as the one they were about to land upon. By Skywarp's interpretation, he was never told how to steal them, which allowed him a certain degree of latitude in how to handle the affair. He grew tired of the errands that they ran, but nonetheless he did as he was told.

While Thundercracker and Skywarp were partners since the beginning of the Decepticon uprising on Cybertron, they differed from a professional standpoint. Despite the fact that the blue Seeker bore the mouthless purple decal on his wings, there were times in which he held doubts about their faction's cause. Only the fear of incurring Megatron's wrath kept him in line over the years he has served the warlord.

The temptation of attacking the vessel and stealing its valuables for the war effort as well as for themselves was exhilarating enough to drown his apprehension. They were itching for action, and while raiding the vessel would provide no challenge, it did not provide the same level of excitement as actual combat.

[Command: this is Skywarp. Target sighted. Moving in for a boarding action,] the purple Seeker radioed through his voice comm line. Soundwave was quick to send back a reply, their communications monitored closely to keep watch for any intrusion and prevent from being discovered.

[Affirmative, proceed as planned.]

Taking their cue, the two Seekers descended from the gray skies above, shifting into their robot forms. The crewmen that were working on keeping the sakuradite safe cowered before the arrival of the Decepticon flyers.

"Evening, humans. Today is your lucky day where you get to die," Skywarp sneered at the Chinese crewmen. Not wasting another second, the purple Seeker angled one of his arm rifles and fired away. Thundercracker followed up with a few blasts of his own, taking care not to blow up the sakuradite lest they fail their objective and face the wrath of Starscream. The cargo's caretakers were quickly felled by their laser barrage as the two Seekers breached their way through the ship's main cargo hold. Inside were several containers containing the renowned mineral that propelled the Britannians into their current state. It would be the same resource of which the Decepticons would utilize in plotting the undoing of the rulers of this Earth and bring themselves back on top of the galactic food chain.

"Perfect," Skywarp grinned, admiring the pink glow of the canisters.

"Careful with the valuables. They're just as volatile as regular energon," Thundercracker reminded his partner.

Skywarp turned back to his partner, his lips a thin line. "Thanks for the warning."

[Skywarp, Thundercracker, secure the cache and return to the base at once,] Soundwave droned to the Seekers.

[Will do,] the purple flyer replied. "We better scrap this vessel to keep any survivors from warning their people ashore."

"Right," Thundercracker replied. Both flew into the sky carrying the sakuradite in their arms and fired a small salvo of missiles as a parting gift to the dead Chinese on board. The sound of thunderbolts that boomed from the clouds up high kept the explosion from being audible. Skywarp reveled in the carnage while his companion watched in silence from above. The former opened up a teleportation aperture which led back into their hideout in Hong Kong. The black-purple mech's body went halfway through before he noticed that his partner wasn't moving.

"What are you waiting for? We got the stuff, let's get out of here!" Skywarp said before he flared up his leg thrusters and entered the swirling portal with cargo in hand. Thundercracker glared at the wreckage of the cargo vessel before he followed his partner back. When the pair disappeared, the _Penghu _blew into a fiery explosion. The ocean consumed the burning wreckage into its depths, leaving no trace that the Decepticons were ever there.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Research Branch****  
****Hong Kong, Chinese Federation  
**  
In the farthest depths of the auxiliary lab quarter several human facsimiles worked furiously on the development of newer breeds of the Insecticon Swarmer drone. The lighting was dim, the space throughout the floor pitch black. The vats that contained the new drones provided the only source of illumination in the work area and gave off a sickly green color, the liquid baths outlining their menacing forms. The clone scientists were oblivious to the fact that they would be the livestock upon which the Swarmers would consume as part of their natural evolution.

Each drone's back had an organic carapace similar to Earth-based insects. They were the result of a combination of research into bio-mechanical technology and the twisted imagination of the Insecticons of which they are originally based upon. Shrapnel and Kickback stood with their data pads before one of the creatures began moving its misshapen form. The drone crashed out its container, revealing a pair of sharp sickle-like blades that protruded from its legs and forearms. Its optics were dark pits, as though one saw through an empty void. If the Earth's inhabitants were to see what the Insecticons had created, the Swarmers would be akin to demons that were born from the darkest depths of the underworld. Its mandibles opened and revealed metallic tendrils with sharp teeth from its jawless head, snarling as it crawled about the breeding grounds. Kickback grew irate at the constant updates that they had to provide to Starscream back in Tokyo.

"What do you want?" Kickback hissed.

"How goes the status of our new pets?" the aerospace commander inquired of the two Insecticons.

"As expected," Shrapnel answered curtly, looking back upon their creation. "Their natural defenses is melding nicely with their technological form. The nanites contained within their bodies give them a significant advantage in regenerative functions compared to our own. We were just about some more trials."

"Are they ready to be shipped over to our location?" Starscream asked.

"They should be ready to be sent over to you within the next solar cycle," Kickback told with a straight face.

"Have them loaded aboard one of our cargo ships for transit to Japan right away."

The order astounded the pair. Shrapnel was the next mech to speak up: "Isn't that a bit sudden? The drones haven't fully matured yet."

"That is irrelevant now that the Autobots are here," the aerospace commander informed.

Kickback cupped his chin under his palm. "The Autobots, eh? Well, perhaps we can send you the ones that will be complete. Say, a contingent of at least thirty?"

"Fair enough," Starscream conceded. His optics turned into narrow slits upon the sound of screams and crunched bone emanating from behind the Insecticons. "What in the Inferno is that blasted noise over there?!"

"That? Oh, that's just your pets being hungry," Shrapnel said with a sinister grin.  
_ _ _

**Government Bureau ****  
****Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
Cornelia fumed over the embarrassment of the past two skirmishes by her forces against the unknown parties operating in her territory. The amount of damages incurred to her forces made a dent in the army's operational capability, forcing her to requisition additional assets outside of Tokyo. Several contingents of Sutherlands were sent from auxiliary bases in Hokkaido and Nagasaki to compensate for the losses sustained by her army, delaying any further military action for a few days until the reinforcements arrive in Toyko. Despite this temporary setback, she remained thankful to Zero that Euphemia survived that endeavor at the convention center hotel. Had he done anything else otherwise, she would've killed him on the spot.

She busied herself sifting through reports on the previous engagements by the Britannians in Shinjuku and Lake Kawaguchi. In the first skirmish the majority of the detachment that was sent to investigate Shinjuku were wiped out, with only the Purists and a couple of stragglers that survived. In the second engagement two of the unknowns managed to outmaneuver her royal guard and the Lancelot. She tasked the ASEEC's leading contractor to investigate the matter and develop the means with which to counter them.

Reluctant as she was in once more enlisting the aid of the Purists, she had little alternative since she was going to need every asset available in order to defeat the remaining forces of the Japanese Liberation Front. Thus, she ordered them to accompany her departing troops before the final showdown with General Katase's army began. Her eyes pored over every aspect of the general's career. Distinguished graduate of the Japanese military academy, with numerous decorations that served as a testament to man's capabilities as a field commander.

Then there was the issue of Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh Kyoshiro, a subordinate officer under Katase and the only man out of the entire Japanese army to gain a single victory against the Britannian military. Dubbed by his countrymen as 'Tohdoh of Miracles' he remained at large somewhere around the colony. When the empire would commence the final assault upon Katase's group, the likelihood fo the lieutenant colonel springing to action in aid of the general remained high. Cornelia's desk phone rang, prompting her to briskly pick it up.

"Yes?"

"Princess, this is General Darlton."

"Go ahead."

"We're going over the preparations for the assault on Narita in the conference room."

"I'll be there shortly."

In the main conference room General Darlton and Guilford were going over preliminaries for the final battle against the remainder of the Japanese Liberation Front, who was reported to have pooled whatever troops and vehicles they had left at disposal. It proved an opportune moment to crush the faction who had been a thorn to the Britannian occupation for the past seven years. The second princess walked through and studied the maps alongside her two aides.

"The Japanese Liberation Front has troops concentrated around the base of the Narita. Our forces are already in the outlying city next to the mountain," said one of the staff officers.

"Are there any estimates on their strength?" the second princess asked.

Darlton spoke up: "They have several tank divisions. Leftovers from the last war seven years ago, and some Knightmares. What do they call them again?"

"Burais, sir," one of the advisors said.

"Or Glasgow knockoffs," the general huffed. "We have several scout divisions that are maintaining watch around the clock to keep track of their movements."

"Lucky for them, they get to live a little longer," Cornelia muttered under her breath. She wanted to get back at the source of her pain, the people responsible for the death of her two half-siblings. It was a pity for her that it was so far from the truth.  
_ _ _

**Student Council Clubhouse****  
****Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement  
**  
Lelouch had to thank Meier for the amount of information he yielded before his untimely demise at the ex-prince's hand. The string of successes incurred by the Black Knights have increased exponentially over the past several days. Word of their exploits have prompted more Japanese to join their ranks. Information continued to flow freely through the net, the general consensus from the disenfranchised Elevens being that while they openly disapprove of terrorism, deep down they were grateful for what was being done against the guilty and the corrupt.

C.C. seated herself on Lelouch's bed while doing flutter kicks barefooted. Her visage bore the same detached look that she is renowned for. The aroma of pizza filled her nostrils as she engorged a slice, savoring the texture of the cheese as it melted in her mouth. Her gold eyes wandered upon the former Britannian heir's laptop screen as he constantly moved from webpage to webpage.

"What are you doing now?" she inquired to him.

"Researching."

"For school? That's quite unlike you," C.C. said in a muffled voice as she consumed another slice of pizza.

Lelouch shook his head, his eyes glued to the screen. "It's not what you think. Last night we encountered another Knightmare."

"What makes it so different than the other Knightmares we've seen?"

The memory of the bigger mech as it gazed down upon him through its red visor came to mind. "This one had an unusual configuration. It's slightly taller and bulkier than a Glasgow. There have been rumors circulating of unusual Knightmare sightings in Shinjuku and Lake Kawaguchi. Keeping in mind the fact that Britannia I would surmise that they were built by private corporations. Unfortunately I don't have enough evidence to make that a definitive conclusion."

"Perhaps there were others that saw the same strange machines of which you speak of."

"There is another thing that bothers me. A group of men dressed in dark combat uniforms were after Meier as well."

"Sounds like you're fighting a group of ghosts."

"A group of highly trained ghosts," Lelouch corrected.

"Perhaps you can find out clues on the whereabouts of this mysterious group? With support from the outside?"

"Indeed. Speaking of support, there is an organization that is secretly helping us from the shadows of the population," Lelouch smiled. "They've sent us a few additional Burais along with an experimental Knightmare as a gesture of good faith towards our cause."

"Then they trust you."

"No, they are gauging us to see if we are worthy of their support," Lelouch corrected. "Though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to prove ourselves some more."

"You always had a taste for the theatrical," C.C. said with curved lips.

"Master Lelouch! Dinner is ready!" the Japanese maid Sayoko yelled, her voice muffled through his room's door.

"Thank you Sayoko, I'll be there shortly!" Lelouch called back, brushing his black mane with his hand as he got out of his chair. Before he left the door, he turned back to C.C. His violet eyes glared back at the witch.

"Don't do anything brash," he warned of her as he left the chamber to join with Nunnally and their servant an evening meal to put his mind at ease.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Primary Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
The Decepticons in the capital occupied themselves preparing for the next stage of their mining operation. It amused Starscream that Arkeville would go so far as to sell out his people in order to advance their cause, and assist in propelling themselves to greatness once more. Though he knew that the human had an ulterior motive, he would continue the illusion that they were working together towards a common goal of ascension to power. Such a thought had the aerospace commander reminisce on the earlier years when the uprising first began.

Long gone were the days in which the Decepticons could bask in the glory of their conquest over the weaker civilizations. The flyer felt Megatron was to be blamed for the failures that the Deceptcions endured because of his pride and his desire for galactic conquest. What was originally a goal to pursue change and create a better Cybertron grew into a pursuit of power and domination.

The loyalists, such as Soundwave, remained convinced that Megatron would lead them to greatness once again. Starscream knew Megatron to be many things, but the reins of leadership would not be his. While the Seeker officer would maintain the façade of being a loyalist on the surface, he plotted a way to be rid of the tyrant. His train of thought was interrupted at the beep of a comm signal emanating from the government bureau where Cornelia was located.

"What is it?" the Decepticon second-in-command demanded.

"It is me, Lord Starscream," answered the voice of the inside agent.

"Is there anyone that is tracking your signal?" Starscream asked.

"No, milord. I have news to send you."

"Then speak. What news do you bring?"

"Viceroy Cornelia has dispatched part of her forces to the Narita Mountains in preparation for a  
full-scale assault."

Starscream arched an optic. "What of our assets over in the laboratory?"

"I have already informed our agent over there to prepare to move if necessary. For the moment we are still safe."

"Well done. Keep me informed."

"Yes, milord."  
_ _ _

Starscream strode through the hallways which led to the secondary complex of the research and development sector within the underground facility. Inside the sub-level Arkeville sifted over data sheets on his clipboard before he noticed the Seeker was right in front of him. The human already suspected that something was amiss.

"Our double agent has informed us that the viceroy has sent troops over to Narita. While he has informed us that our assets over there are safe, I'm not taking any chances. It is time to bring them online."

"Are you certain it is wise?" Arkeville ventured.

"Who are you to question me, human?!" Starscream hissed at the former American traitor.

"As you wish," sighed the former CIA officer.

Both individuals moved to the western block of the sub-level, were several cryogenic regeneration chambers in that sector of the main laboratory housed several Decepticon warriors in stasis. Five of those containers held the Predacons: considered to be some of the most notorious and dangerous soldiers of the entire Decepticon army. Their hunting prowess had no equal, and claimed many victories in Megatron's name. Their resurgence in this land would add to the overwhelming advantage that they had over the Autobots in terms of resources, and would be a morale booster to the Decepticons that hid amongst the shadows.

The Seeker had a mischievous grin on his face as the commander of the Predacons awoke, his visor lighting up as he immediately seized the Seeker by his throat.

"Starscream. What an unpleasant surprise to see you again," Razorclaw said.

"The feeling is mutual," the aerospace commander gagged. "It's good to see you online for a change. I trust you enjoyed your period of C.R. time?"

"Why have you awakened me?"

"Do you remember where you are?"

Razorclaw studied the space around him, noticing the humans that occupied the various workstations and monitors around his position. "We're on an Earth that is not of our universe."

"At least your memory banks haven't been entirely corrupted," Starscream said mockingly.

"You still haven't answered my question," the Predacon leader snarled, giving a firm reminder that the flyer was still in his grip.

"I have need of your services," the flyer admitted, still choking.

"Really now? Last I checked you were willing to sell your own spark in order to gain lordship over the Decepticons. Don't think that I have forgotten of your treachery, Seeker. It would be best to tell me why I shouldn't take you off-line right now."

Starscream immediately thought up a reason which would prove convincing enough to sway the stronger Decepticon warrior: "Because I -- have an offer which you would be interested in."

"What kind of 'offer' do you speak of?" the Predacon commander scoffed.

"You were never one to ignore the thrill of the hunt. The humans here are not like the ones on 'our' Earth."

Razorclaw gave a quizzical look towards the Decepticon second-in-command. "Explain."

"We are in a different dimension. The humans in this universe have traveled a different path of progression in terms of technology. Far more advanced than the ones we know."

After a moment of consideration, the Predacon leader released Starscream from his grasp. The Seeker scratched his vocal processor, relieved of the fact that Razorclaw didn't dig his serrated servos any further into one of his energon lines. The red blue Cybertronian lifted himself back onto his feet.

"I knew you'd come to your senses."

"What of the Autobots?"

"They have pursued us to this world. Fortunately we have more than one advantage over them. We have infiltrated the human nations, with tensions growing each day. They are just itching to kill each other. Quite entertaining, I'll admit," the Seeker told his comrade. "We also have one other resource of which the humans in this reality prize greatly."

"What is it?"

"Follow me," Starscream gestured to the Predacon leader. Arkeville quickly paced himself behind the two as the three walked into the catacombs where a steeped ramp led to a bridge. Further down the path was a sealed chamber with double doors twelve meters high. A beam of lime green light scanned Starscream's form and allowed him entrance into the space ahead. Both Cybertronians proceeded onward towards an aperture that opened into a concealed space, where a rock formation in front of them gave off a dark blue glow.

"Energon?" Razorclaw asked.

"It is called 'sakuradite'. In reality it is something much, much more. Please step on the platform and have a sample."

The Predacon grew wary of Starscream's intention, unsure of what to make of this particular development. Reluctantly, the warrior hunter stepped onto the center of the platform and the cables snaked their way into his cerebral processor. The Decepticon flyer turned to his human cohort and extended a palm signaling the transfer process.

"Mister Arkeville, if you would please."

Arkeville flipped the switch on the console, the cables whining as the sakuradite flowed through the cables directly into Razorclaw. The Predacon leader's body spasmed at the power of the mineral as it coursed through his circuits. His visor widened in response to the reactions that were taking place within his superstructure.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" the Seeker asked of the warrior hunter.

"This power, I can feel it," Razorclaw replied.

Starscream directed another question at his ally. "Then I trust you are satisfied with the results?"

The Predacon commander nodded his consent. "You shall have my assistance. Understand this: I do not serve you. I serve only the will of Megatron. And should I find that you are deceiving me, I will scrap you where you stand. Clear?"

"Perfectly," Starscream grinned.

_And with the help of the Predacons, we now have the perfect opportunity to wipe out our enemies while their attention is focused on each other rather than us. By then our dominance of this land be assured._

**End of Chapter 10**

* * *

Author's note:

The Decepticons haven't made many appearances of late, so I decided to write this one to make up for it. This is to be one of the staging points before the eventual battle at Narita. As for the Insecticon Swarmers, their design is inspired by the xenomorphs in Aliens and the Necromorphs in Dead Space. They're close-range melee attackers that are deadly alone and even deadlier in numbers, much like the creatures which led to their development. I am still need ideas for the chapter after the next one involving Ashford Academy and the Pretenders!

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	15. Chapter 11 Festivities

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**The Autobot Pretenders are invited for a visit to Ashford Academy.**

Side-note: Just to warn you, I know that fans of Code Geass feel strongly when it pertains to a particular pairing in the series. I do not want to hear it. I will not allow this fic to be a debate platform for which pairing is popular. If you're gonna debate, do it on a forum.

In the meantime, happy reading!

* * *

****

Chapter 11: Festivities 

**Student Council Clubhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Lelouch quietly studied the reports sent by his spies situated throughout the city. From what he read there were reports of strange sightings of unusual mecha in Shinjuku, Lake Kawaguchi, and the Silver Pearl casino. He had a lingering suspicion that the three were somehow connected. This strange chain of events was why he had Ohgi seek out intelligence on these mysterious occurrences as the two men exchanged information with one another.

"We've been checking with our contacts on unusual activity that's occurred over the past few weeks," Ohgi began. "So far nothing's come up. The other resistance groups have access to Burais sent by Kyoto but nothing as significant as the frames that were encountered by the military in Shinjuku and during the convention hotel incident."

"What did they find?"

"So far they search haven't yielded anything in particular, except one group that arrived just recently within the past thirty days."

"The group being?"

"A private research and development firm called Harker/Ferguson. We're still trying to determine what they do."

"Interesting. Have you found anything else?"

"That's the best that we got, right now."

"Alright then. What's the status of our Knightmares?"

"We've already stocked our supplies and ammunition. Inoue, Ishida and Tamaki are already preparing the Guren for transport."

"As soon as we've finished our business in Narita I intend to pay a little 'visit' over to their office. I'm not privy to the idea of anyone that gets in the way every time we're on a mission."

"I know what you mean."

Though there weren't too many solid leads yet, the student council vice president couldn't take his mind off the skirmish that the Black Knights had with the mysterious men at the Silver Pearl. He had this gut feeling that they were part of a special operations branch of the Britannian forces stationed in Area 11, but the question he asked himself was whether or not this group was directly under Cornelia's operational control. Then there was the issue of the transformable Knightmare that the Black Knights encountered back at the gambling establishment, which bore no identifiable markings on its chassis. It was a mystery that warranted further looking into.

The former prince also founded it odd that these machines first appeared near the battle area where he first met the Shinjuku resistance. How come they never detected the unknown contacts. Perhaps if the Black Knights dug deeper and searched for their unknown rivals it would shed some light as to why they would have any vested interest in the criminals in which the organization was hunting.

"Lelouch, are you in there?"

Several knocks on the closed doors followed by the sound of a youthful and masculine voice was muffled by the entrance that led into the student council room.

"Excuse me, Ohgi. There's something I need to take care of," Lelouch said trying to cut his conversation short. By the time he shut his cellular off, Suzaku barged through the door in his academy uniform.

"There you are," Lelouch's friend murmured, relief evident on his face. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, I was doing some tasks that Milly wanted me to do," the ex-prince lied. "What's happening?"

"The president duly requests our presence out on the campus grounds," Suzaku said with a flashy smile. "There are some guests which she anxiously wants us to meet."

Lelouch tried to recollect on the mention of the three men which Milly and Shirley spoke of time and again. "The Snyder brothers?"

"That's what she says. I'll be heading to the outer concession stands to meet with Milly and the others."

"All right, I'll be coming shortly," Lelouch answered, pondering the mystery of the Harker/Ferguson group.

"Nunnally's coming too, isn't she?" Suzaku asked before he almost exited out of the meeting room.

"Yeah, she wanted to share in the moment alongside everyone else. Besides, there's no harm in meeting new people," Lelouch smiled to his friend.  
_ _ _

**Main Entrance  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Rays of sunlight gleamed over Jazz's shades as he adjusted them on the way to the school's gate. The special ops lieutenant shot a look of amazement at the sheer amount of real estate that stretched far and wide across the campus. After the fiasco at Lake Kawaguchi, the girls were generous enough to make up for Jazz's charity and invite the three 'brothers' to their institute for a special festival. How could he refuse such a request?

Then there was the issue at the Silver Pearl, where their lead died en route to the Autobot outpost on the periphery of the capital. Thus, it left the expedition the option of decoding whatever was stored on the disc which Marissa recovered from the hotel. While Jazz felt somewhat guilty that he wasn't chipping in, he also knew that since there wasn't going to be new information yielded any time soon he might as well savor whatever free time he had and meet the popular student vice president.

"Whoa, nice scenery," the red twin said. Sideswipe picked up his pace ahead of the Autobot officer and basked in the fresh air of the school grounds. He and his brother wore red and yellow polos with light jackets and khakis to distinguish themselves from their leader, who had a white beret nested over his slick black hair.

"And it looks like the party's started," Jazz observed.

The Pretenders glanced at the area around them. Concession stands and balloons tied at their roofs only told part of the massive gathering that was taking place. Milly never told Jazz what the occasion was and wanted to keep it a surprise from his group. The Cybertronian officer had to give props to her; she really knew how to throw a party.

"She never told us there was something this big going on, that's for sure," Jazz whistled.

Sunstreaker remained silent behind the two Pretenders ahead of him. The three stepped through the arched gate that led to the school, the brick road connecting to the main building where the students attend their classes. All the humans around them remain focused on enjoying the moment of the festivities around campus.

Jazz took care in exercising caution of his surroundings. His ears picked up the distant clamor of a familiar feminine voice that called out to him. The Autobot lieutenant tilted his shades slightly before the president revealed herself to the group from afar.

"Hey guys! Over here!" Milly waved to the Autobot trio. The Ashford student council president rushed at the twins and dragged them further towards the school, with Jazz jogging to catch up with them.

"You never told us you were holding this big a party over here," the spec ops officer said.

"I'm a party girl. It's a trait that's been passed in my family," the exuberant blonde chirped. "You should come along, the rest of the student council is already waiting for us around the campus."

As the festivities commenced, the twins roved about alongside the girls with Jazz lagging behind them as he took in the sights around him. In his mind he wondered what else the student council had in store for them.  
_ _ _

Kallen sported a formal gown that extended down to her calves. It matched her hair color and accentuated her figure perfectly, since Shirley and Milly took her measurements in the baths before the incident at Lake Kawaguchi. Her attire was part of the fashion festival, since it was the same club that sponsored it (with Milly's approval). The half-breed busied herself in assisting a group of other students who were setting up more concession stands around the campus.

It wasn't long before she saw a group of young men heading towards the student clubhouse. There was an odd familiarity about the trio. After a moment of observation she realized who they were upon their arrival to the Lamperouge residence. She noticed that Milly was guiding one of them in hand with the other two following from behind.

_Those three were with the people we rescued from the hotel hijacking incident!_

Out of nowhere, Suzaku walked from between two of the concession stands and spotted the student council president along with the school's visitors.

"Hey, Milly. I take it you've found your guests?"

"They're _our_ guests," she corrected.

"Greetings," the young Japanese man said. "I'm Suzaku Kururugi."

The slightly taller caucasian male replied politely at the Honorary Britannian. "Jerome Snyder, at your service."

"It's a pleasure to actually meet one of the people the girls have been bragging about."

Jerome flashed a smile at his newfound friend. "Ditto. Say, you're the man that dude Zero freed a few weeks back, right?"

"Yeah... About that..." Suzaku began, but Jerome raised his palm as a sign of understanding.

"I know, must've been one strange experience. No biggie, we've had our fair share too."

The Honorary Britannian was somewhat confused at the offhand statement. "I beg your pardon?"

"That thing back at the hotel not too long ago. But as luck would have it we all made it out okay, right?" Jerome said.

Suzaku took an instant liking to the man's easygoing demeanor. Kallen's heart warmed at the sight of more friendly souls that helped ease her mind from the constant goings with the Black Knights. The redhead walked to the man and opened her palm, welcoming the three guests to the campus with the same meek look of an invalid that she wore in front of her classmates.

"Hello, Kallen Stadtfeld," the half-breed bowed slightly.

"Jerome," the capped man heartily accepted and shook her hand with a similar level of enthusiasm that he gave Suzaku.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she answered, keeping her grip firm.

"This school is actually a pretty cool place, I gotta admit," the visitor noted.

"Perhaps you'd like to join us and watch the main event?" Kallen offered.

"Matter of fact, we don't mind at all," Jerome said as he smirked at one of the twins. "Don't we, Chris?"

Nearby, Chris had a face which screamed innocence as his cheeks were puffed due to the fact that he stuffed his mouth with fresh watermelon slices. Evan combed his blond hair with his fingers at the indignation of his twin's gourmand-like behavior. The arrival was only the beginning of what would turn out to be a weird day.  
_ _ _

**Student** **Council Clubhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

"We've been hounded by the media for more than a week! I'm kind of surprised that they haven't gotten any answers from you guys!" Shirley smiled.

"Thankfully they didn't. We made sure of that," Jazz answered calmly, his lips a thin line.

"There's Lulu! Over here!" the orange-haired girl waved.

In front of the clubhouse two people exited from the building. One was a taller male with slick black hair and violet eyes that beamed with coolness and confidence. The other was a young girl bound in a wheelchair wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and a pink dress. While the student council members enjoyed themselves with their visitors, Jazz walked to the pair and took some time to get to know them while everyone else was preoccupied with the festivities all around them.

"What's shakin'? Name's Jerome Snyder," Jazz said and extended hand. The student vice president accepted it in earnest.

"I know. Lelouch Lamperouge."

"The girls told me a little bit about you. I hear you're a chess guru around here?"

"Indeed. What about you?"

The special ops lieutenant adjusted his shirt slightly. "I work as a deejay. We're still in the process of setting ourselves up since we're new in town."

"Is that the reason why you're here?"

Jazz flashed a smile across his lips. "More of a social call."

Noticing the wheelchair-bound girl in front of the Britannian student vice president, he stepped forward and brought himself before her presence. Her hair flowed in golden-brown strands, and she had this aura that instinctively told him she was attuned to the world around herself in which normal humans cannot fathom. He founded the prospect to be fascinating at times, since robots could easily repair damaged limbs and replace them with parts out of a factory.

_Could she even tell if I'm a robot in this outfit? _

"You're Nunnally, right?"

"And you must be Jerome," the young girl chirped. The Autobot spec ops agent judged her to be at least thirteen to fourteen human years. Though he was curious as to why she kept her eyes shut. Unless there was something that Milly didn't mention back during the Autobots' first meeting?

"I don't mean to be rude but... is there a reason why your eyes are kept closed?" the Pretender asked with his shades lifted.

"She's... blind. From an accident that happened long ago,_" _Lelouch explained to him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jazz offered to the elder Lamperouge.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm perfectly fine," Nunnally assured the disguised Autobot.

"Your accent seems a little unusual," the vice president noted. "Where are you from?"

"I came from the mainland. New York City."

"Interesting. Quite the sprawling metropolis from what I hear."

Jazz chuckled a little bit. "Yeah, I suppose it is. You?"

"I'd... rather not talk about it," Lelouch said, averting his gaze.

"No biggie."

Lelouch pulled a black king out of his pocket and spun it in his hand, locking it in place between his index finger and his thumb. "Perhaps you would like to play a game with me?"

"I'm really not that well-versed in chess," Jazz admitted, his hands raised in surrender.

"Shame, I was hoping to play a round. You don't seem like the type to gloat."

Jazz cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"I've encountered many such people in my lifetime, they have this snobbish aura that sticks to them like a cancer. Much like when an animal stalks his prey, they give off a familiar scent."

The first bot that came to mind was Mirage. Jazz couldn't resist the urge to chuckle a little at the metaphor. "I know what you mean."

"Milly's got something going on after the show's over."  
_ _ _

Milly's face brightened at the presence of her three visitors. She especially had something in mind for two younger Snyders, who remained unaware of a scheme she had concocted in order to get them to go on a date with her and Shirley. She also prayed that it would get Lelouch's attention, since the poor girl was clearly infatuated with him but had no idea how to approach him. The tickets of which she had arranged for the twins were a means to an end. And if she guessed right, they would win the race without fail.

It also provided an opportunity for her to bask in whatever freedom she had left. The Ashford family, desperate in regaining their nobility status within the Britannian hierarchy, knew that their only daughter had to be married to a man of royal stature. Overbearing as they may be, deep down she knew that they were right.

At times like these, did she want to continue as an unbound spirit.  
_ _ _

**Outdoor Auditorium  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

A large segment of the school's student body as well as a number of other visitors basked themselves in wonderment as the presentation of the fashion show moved onward. The models that were on stage drew a cacophony of coos, cheers and claps all around. Rivalz stood from his chair whooping at the sight of Milly, whose presence shook the area outside the stage to its core. The blonde woman took measured steps with poise and grace, and different colored lights that cascaded around each participant went through their moment of fame. Kallen followed up next, and surprised everyone with the amount of confidence in her movements as she proceeded after Milly finished her stint in the spotlight.

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this..._ Kallen thought to herself. The festival made it difficult to maintain her façade of a meekly invalid. Though she also seemed to enjoy herself and bask in the glamour of the moment. A mass group of male students cheered her on as she walked on the stage, taking graceful steps and waving away at the crowd. After a moment of contemplation she felt that this provided a semblance of normalcy in deep contrast to her 'other' life. She saw that Shirley was somewhat shy when the latter moved on the catwalk. Thankfully she didn't fall on her face. When all of the student models finished their little performance, Milly took center stage with a mic in hand.

"Attention, everyone! I have an announcement to make!"

The entire campus was at a standstill when the granddaughter of Ruben Ashford made her declaration. Milly stood tall with a mic in hand as she continued with her declaration. Before she continued any further, she asked of the audience: "Is everyone enjoying themselves?"

The clamor of cheers from students and guests reverberated throughout the entire auditorium.

"Today's main event for the fashion festival will be a scavenger hunt! The goal is to find the figurine of Aphrodite," Milly said as she pointed towards the massive theater display behind her, which showed an impressionist portrait of the famed Greek goddess.

"There's a catch: only those with a gold ticket may join in on the scavenger hunt. All participants who specifically has this stub that manage to find these two figurines and bring them to me will get to go on a dinner date with a council member of their choice!"

"Madam President!" Shirley and Kallen protested in unison, their cheeks brightened into shades of red. Nina instead shyly leveled her eyes upward to the ceiling, pretending to be oblivious of the whole ordeal. They were never told of Milly's intention of what prizes would be rewarded to the winners of the scavenger hunt. Instead, they stood in place, confounded by the fact that she was engaging in showing people off as though they were mere possessions than human beings.

"Ready... go! And good luck to of you!"

Chaos erupted all around the auditorium as everyone that was seated ran forward to spectate the event, which was shown on-screen live all around near the garden pavilion where the scavenger hunt was taking place.  
_ _ _

Lelouch watched from behind the stage curtain as Jerome's jaw dropped at the sight of the chaos around the auditorium. The contestants that got the entry tickets to the scavenger hunt dashed to the start point, and they saw that Chris and Evan were ahead of the pack by several meters.

"Whoa. Is it always this crazy around here?" the deejay asked.

"Pretty much," Lelouch admitted to the visitor. "We on the student council are very popular around here."

"Obviously the understatement of the century."

Jerome's remark drew a chuckle from the ex-prince. "You don't say."

"I'm sure this doesn't compare to the ruckus that Arthur caused not too long ago," Suzaku interjected in a cracked voice.

Lelouch placed a palm to his face. "Please don't mention that."

The memory of the embarrassment when his identity was almost revealed by a certain cat resurfaced in a way which Lelouch did not wish to remember. Due to the significance of the event, he would've preferred to keep it that way. Dumb luck managed to save him the day he nearly fell from one of the school buildings, and the mask fell under next to the bell out of view from all the other students that bore witness to the occurrence.

"Uh, where are your brothers?"

"Hmm, I thought they were watching the show from the auditorium. They must've went out to get some more snacks. I'm gonna go search for them."  
_ _ _

After several minutes of searching, Jazz guessed right when he told Lelouch that the twins were in front of one of the concession stands grabbing some more watermelons.

"Hmm, that sounds fun. And it looks like we got we need in order to participate," Sideswipe grinned with food once again stuffed in his mouth as he held the two gold tickets in his hand, which he and Sunstreaker managed to stumble upon by luck. "Uh, Who's Aphrodite again?"

"The Greek goddess of love and fertility," Jazz informed him.

The red twin was still confused and quirked an eyebrow at the special ops lieutenant. "Right…"

"See that picture displayed over there on the screen?"

The attention of the participants of the game directed their eyes upon the exact replica of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, whose body was draped in a cloth which shielded her nude form. The scenes consequently shifted from the figurine to the box itself, highlighted by different ribbons.

"Huh," was all the red twin managed to say. "Well now that that's settled, I guess we can get started."

"Just remember not to do anything crazy, alright?" Jazz advised to him.

The red Pretender nodded. "Right. You coming, 'Streaker?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," the yellow twin grumbled before he added another complaint. "Honestly, this is completely idiotic."

"Hey, at least we're getting something out of it. Right...?" Sideswipe said before he saw his brother rush ahead to the starting area.  
_ _ _

**Garden Pavilion  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement  
**  
Forty-five minutes had passed since the hunt started. It felt like an eternity searching for the items which the other contestants sought, and Sideswipe knew of their celebrity status all around campus. Nonetheless, he kept his eyes peeled for the wooden box, which was hidden somewhere inside one of the statues. He felt happy he decided to take on Milly's challenge to test his talents. The Pretender probed his fingers around where he suspected the container to be. If only he had Nightbeat's deductive ability...

_Nope, not here. I wonder where they hid the boxes around here..._

He kept in mind the dimensions of the container, so he would have to search hard for the item lest somebody else got to them first.

Sunstreaker crept up behind Sideswipe with a box in hand. His face bore the same expression that he always when it came to events like this one.

"How did you find that?!"

"I made a guess," his sibling answered tersely.

"My exhaust pipe!" Sideswipe snapped.

"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. I play to win."

The red Pretender shot a frown at his brother. "That makes two of us."

"Let's see, it must be somewhere around here... Ah, there it is!" the red twin said aloud. His eyes spotted the box hidden underneath the dais which a duplicate statue of Aphrodite stood. As he picked the object up, the brown-haired Pretender heard footsteps nearby as they inched closer to the brothers' position.

"What the --" Sideswipe froze mid-sentence, the wooden box clutched tightly in hand. "Oh slag."

In full view, several of the participants stood in place as they glanced at the twins. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's eyebrows twitched slightly in nervousness at the newcomers. All of the members of the group took notice of the objects in the pair's possession and rushed towards the brothers.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot! RUN!" Sunstreaker yelled to his brother.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" the red twin shot back as both siblings raced back to the starting point of the maze.

Both brothers raced back towards the starting point at best speed, jumping over any obstacles that happened to be in the way, including a few unfortunate humans.  
_ _ _

From afar Lelouch stood with arms crossed as the participants of the scavenger hunt dashed madly towards the finish line. Suzaku and Jerome positioned themselves next to the ex-prince as they saw the Snyder twins in the lead ahead of the pack.

"Wow, he's fast."

"Hey, no fair!" yelled one of the male contestants as the group that pursued the twins caught up too late.

"Easy folks, first come first serve," Suzaku uttered nervously as he attempted to the rest of the at the finish line of the maze.

Chris continued huffing, his hand placed one knee while the other held a small wooden box wrapped with a silk ribbon. "I-- got it..."  
_ _ _

Jazz walked to his brother and laughed heartily at the younger Pretender's predicament. "You were riding high on your way over to the finish line, bro. If any of the other 'Bots were here they would've mistaken you for Blurr."

"These humans are persistent."

"Yeah but you came out on top."

Sunstreaker materialized out of the bushes next to the return checkpoint with his fraternal twin In his hand was an identical box wrapped with a silk ribbon of a different color. Sideswipe shook his head in disbelief at the relative lack of effort that his brother utilized in the search for the trinket.

"Let's see what you've got, shall we?" Milly said as she tore off the ribbons that sealed their boxes and inspected the contents inside each of the twin's prizes. As she opened each of their containers, she held the resin figurines up high for all to see.

"And the winners are: the Snyder twins!"

"So you two, which one of us are you going to take to dinner this weekend?"

"I suppose I'll take Milly, I guess," Sunstreaker muttered.

Ignoring the noticeable scowl on Sunstreaker's face, Milly grasped his hands with her own.

Chris on the other hand was a little shy on which girl to pick. And the student council president was already taken. Since he was left with three, he opted with the one he felt he would be comfortable with.

"Care to join me in on this little charade, Shirley?"

Shirley's cheeks flushed at the offer, where she was hesitant to accept at first but agreed nonetheless. She struggled to say it aloud in a choked voice. "Of course."

Lelouch remained detached of the whole ordeal, whereas Rivalz on the other hand grew astounded that a man who didn't even attend the school easily managed to bring Milly to her knees. His jaw dropped to the floor as she took both of his hands as a sign of acceptance. If only he had secured a ticket to the race earlier...  
_ _ _

Just as Jazz led the way back to the bus stop where they arrived, Milly dashed after them as she dragged her dress to prevent herself from slipping. She encountered difficulties due to the fact that she wore high-heels but managed to reach the Autobot trio without falling on her face.

Congratulations again, you two. I knew both of you would be able to finish the scavenger hunt as I anticipated."

"Wait a minute," the red twin's eyes grew wide at the realization of her role behind this crazed game. "You knew all along?!"

"And it worked just the way I wanted," Milly giggled as she brought both her hands together to her left cheek.

Sideswipe's body drooped slightly downward, his mind in total disbelief at the revelation. He never would've thought at the notion of human females actually wanting to supposedly date, considering that none of the Autobots save Jazz knew of the humans' customs in courtship. Compounded with the fact that he and his sibling raced against several other competitors, and were oblivious to the idea that this is exactly the scenario as Milly had planned.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun with Shirley and myself," Milly teased to the red Pretender.  
_ _ _

"Well, that must've an interesting experience for the two of you." Jazz mentioned to Sideswipe. Sunstreaker kept his silence on the bus ride home. While the yellow Pretender leaned in a corner by himself, the other two disguised Autobots continued on what to do about the dates with Milly and Shirley.

"You don't know the half of it," Sideswipe answered, feeling a slight processor-ache.

Jazz tried to reassure his comrade. "Well, the thing is you got some time to prepare. The problem is that you're going to have to learn to do things on the fly."

The moment the white mech mentioned those words made Sideswipe cringe to his core.

"I'll tell you what I can, unfortunately you'll have to figure out the rest on your own. Now we'll see if those social exercises that you both went through will come in handy."

A worried look formed on Sideswipe's visage. "Jazz, I'm not too sure about this..."

"What's wrong? Weren't you and 'Streaker popular among the femmes on Cybertron back then?"

"This is _different_. We're talking about --"

"I'm jiving with you, man," the special ops head laughed, patting Sideswipe on the shoulder. "It can't that bad. I'm sure Spike and Marissa probably went through worse than what you're going to experience in the next few days."

Sideswipe had growing doubts in his spark that his newfound experience with dating humans would prove to be the contrary.

**End of Chapter 11**

* * *

****

Author's note:

My deepest apologies for the long wait, and another one if the cast seems OOC. I've been doing a read-over and saw that the fic needed mucho editing. Hopefully you all like the 'cleaner' version that I posted so it's easier on the eyes.

The fashion segment for this chapter was partly inspired by a series called Paradise Kiss, and a recollection of observing one back when I was still in high school .

I also want to extend my appreciation to Amir, Spartan Commander and brave kid for your inputs in regards to the creation of this chapter.

Oh, and the beret that Jazz wore at Ashford is a loose reference to another of his incarnations in a different continuity. Can you take a guess which? ;D

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	16. Chapter 12 Gangster Tripping

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's date with Shirley and Milly goes awry.**

* * *

****

**Chapter 12: Gangster Tripping **

**Omantesando Mall  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

It was a day off from school for Milly and Shirley, as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker founded themselves arm in arm with the two girls through the vast interior of the shopping establishment. The twins engaged in different activities that Jazz suggested to them. Of course, he would have to leave it in the two's judgment to tread carefully when they were around the humans. Inside the building was more packed than when the twins were previously arrived alongside Marissa and Spike. After shopping around several stores and attending an evening movie, they went to the Beacon restaurant where the Autobot/human expedition last congregated.

After their dishes arrived on their tables they began to chow down with due haste. Shirley ordered herself a tomato salad with brocoli and carrots to keep herself slim. She was very mindful when it pertained to her diet. Especially due to the fact that she had an upcoming swimming competition against Ashford Academy's rival schools. Her emerald eyes darted only for a moment at the yellow Pretender, who preoccupied himself with a hamburger that has a slice of tomato and lettuce.

Sideswipe tugged at the collar of his polo nervously. He convinced himself that he was having a little more trouble with the evening than what he was willing to admit. Of course, Jazz's advice hung in his processor like flies to fly paper. It gave the red mech a firm reminder that the head of special ops engaged in social interactions constantly with every race that he encountered. He and his brother were only exposed with femmes of their civilization that while similar in some ways to Earth's females, but also contrasted in terms of lifestyle since Jazz told them that women such as Shirley and Milly were maintenance heavy when it came to taking care of their bodily appearance. Engaging in an activity as intimate as this one was something entirely new to him.

He tried drowning his thoughts with small bites of the dish he ordered when the group was last together. Recollections of Jazz's words of wisdom surfaced in his processor. The special ops lieutenant dubbed such instances as uncomfortable silence. Thus, Sideswipe opted to make the first move and talk to Milly.

"How's the meal?"

"It's delicious!" the student council president said, enjoying her bowl of pasta vegetable soup. After Milly took another bite, she lowered her spoon and gave a cursory glance at Sunstreaker, who continued munching on his burger in total silence. His lack of communication slowly crept onto the conscious of both girls present. The yellow Pretender noticed that the two human females exchanged looks with each other before they turned to him again.

"You know, you haven't said much through the evening. Are you alright?" the blond girl smiled weakly.

"Sorry, it's been a long day." Sunstreaker said.

"There must be something you want to say," Milly persisted.

_Aside from the fact that this night is terrible?_ the yellow twin thought quietly to himself.

Sideswipe noticed the expression on his brother's face and chastised him.

[Come on 'Streaker, lighten up a little. It's not that bad.]

[I'd rather be thrashing some 'Cons.]

The mention of Decepticons made Sideswipe chuckle slightly in his processor. [Hate to break it to you 'Streaker, but we're not going to be seeing them any time soon.]

[Let's hope that changes. This night is starting to get dull.]

[Because you're scaring them you did to Nina back on the train. They're nice folks, talk with them.]

Sunstreaker broke off from the conversation when he noticed that more than four dozen men muscled through the civilians roaming through the mall, catching the yellow twin's attention. He prayed that the night would go through quickly and be done with, but it proved to be nothing more than wishful thinking at best. The Pretender noticed that several of them were hoodlums that the brothers encountered during their first trip into the capital. As soon as the gang moved up from the escalator to their floor, Sunstreaker gently rapped on the table to warn his twin.

[Sides, look behind you.]

The red Pretender turned and frowned at the sight of the familiar faces as they walked inside the restaurant. His first reaction was to warn the girls to leave, but knew that it was too late. As the gang made their way into the restaurant, the leader of the group took notice of the brothers and their company.

"Well well well, if isn't the two punks that managed to trash us."

The familiarity of the voice prompted Sideswipe to turn back and face the gang leader that led the beating on the elderly Japanese man when the Autobots first arrived to Tokyo. A look of displeasure on the red Pretender's face became visible.

"Surprised to see us?" the leader of the gang back at the Violet Hour snorted at the pair. "I see you've brought a pair of fine-looking girls with you. Mind if we join in?"

Uninvited, the leader leaned against the table and took a mouthful of Sunstreaker's sandwich. "Mmm, tasty. Shame your buddy isn't around to save you this time."

"He wasn't there to save us. He stopped us from having to punch your lights out," Sideswipe corrected.

"You know these people?" Shirley said, obviously fearful of the increasing number of street thugs that crowded the restaurant.

"We met them a while back after we got here," Sideswipe told her.

"We still owe you for that time you were protecting that Eleven," the burly leader snarled.

"Considering that you were stupid enough to gang up on him in the first place, I guess you learned nothing, huh?" the red twin retorted.

The leader walked to the bar snatched a glass of beer from one of the customers. He then dumped it all over Sunstreaker. The yellow Pretender kept his composure, but seethed on the inside. There were certain boundaries that were never meant to be crossed, and the human was enough of a fool to have pushed his luck.

"How does it feel to have your evening ruined, pretty boy?" the man smiled with a gap-toothed grin.

Alarmed that Sunstreaker clenched his fist, the red Pretender tried to warn him not to do anything brash. ['Streaker, don't.]

[Too late, Sides. They're done.]

With that said, the the yellow Pretender swung a hard left hook into the middle of the leader's face, cracking his nose. The human staggered back in response to the amount of pain delivered, which made it hard to breathe through his nostrils. Drips of blood soon began oozing into the tiles of the restaurant. Angered, he turned to his men and barked in irritation.

"What are you all just standing there for?! Get them!"

"Guess they're really itching for a rematch, eh?" Sideswipe muttered, as he took up a defensive position alongside Sunstreaker.

"Actually, more than that," one of the leader's subordinates said as he stepped forward. He had straight hair with a black vest and a nose ring to adorn his already unkempt appearance. As the gangster stepped forward Sunstreaker clutched the man by the vest with one hand, and using both arms launched him upwards into a group of four men that were guarding the door. All of them were knocked down onto their backs, groaning in pain as though a bull rammed right at them. It was the opportunity the twins needed to allow their dates to escape.

[We need to get Shirley and Milly out of the way,] Sunstreaker warned to his brother.

[After what you just did, I couldn't agree more.]

The large group of gangsters all drew their weapons out of their jackets and pockets. Butterfly knives, chains, sticks and machettes were among the assortment of instruments that itched to carve them inside out. Numerous bloodthirsty maniacs that thirsted to spill the twins' blood. Sideswipe then grew concerned at the well-being and safety of their dates. "Shirley, Milly, get out of here while you still can and get help. We'll handle this."

"You'll get killed!" the auburn-haired girl contested with a worried look.

The red twin raised a hand to quell her protests. "Please trust us on this."

"But--"

He didn't want to hear another word from her. "GO!"

Without any further contest, both of the girls ran away from the commotion, which was about to turn into a bloodbath. Milly clasped Shirley by the wrist through the front of the restaurant where five of the gang members lay, leaving the twins to focus on the matter at hand. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker brought their arms up in a defensive position as the melee began without delay.

While the pair founded themselves outnumbered by the Britannian gang members, the humans were no match for them as the brothers worked in tandem to take down the aggressors that overwhelmed their area. It was just the situation which Sunstreaker wanted to break the boredom of the day.  
_ _ _

Soon after the fighting broke out between the twins and their opponents, the entire section of the mall was caught in a rut. Numerous gangsters swarmed the restaurant in droves, pushing the twins further back inside. Sunstreaker grabbed one of them by the collar and threw him through the window of the restaurant. Fragments of glass shattered and spilled out into the passages where commoners roamed about from their shopping sprees. Those that were nearby recoiled in horror as the chaos between the Lambo twins and their enemies intensified.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the twins jumped through their makeshift escape to give themselves breathing room. Not slowing their pace, they ran to the point where girls first left. They used the thermal imagers on their wristwatches to trace their way to where Shirley and Milly went, with Sideswipe hoping that they weren't caught by any of the roaming pack of gangsters.

"This way," Sunstreaker said.

"Are you sure?" Sideswipe quirked an eyebrow.

"Positive."

Shaking his head, he reluctantly followed his twin as they paced themselves to where the latter suspected Shirley and Milly to be.

_Please be safe_, the red Pretender wished of their female companions.  
_ _ _

Dozens of nearby shoppers panicked in response to the disturbance near the Beacon restaurant. Already the numerous personnel that comprised the mall's security teams scrambled to contain the criminal threat. Several of the personnel in charge of keeping watch of the premises drew stun batons in response to the armed presence of the gangsters that roamed inside the building. Rushing their way towards the nearest exit was Milly and Shirley, both in a state of alertness and fear as they search in desperation for a path of escape. Clutching her cellphone in hand, Milly dialed 911 and founded to her annoyance that the line was busy. She growled as the phone continued to dial up the emergency services to no avail. The two girls were on their own.

Milly kept Shirley close by clutching the latter's wrist as both ran as far as they could away from the fighting. They reached into an exit where it led back outside of the mall. Unfortunately they never made it far, since there were a group of twenty men waiting at their route of escape, with another ten closing in on them from behind. The predatory looks on their faces suggested sinister intent, and they were not going to let the girls leave any time soon. One man clutched Shirley with a tight hold on her wrist.

"Let go of us!" Shirley shouted as struggled to break free of the stronger man's grip to no avail.

"Sure, but first we're going to --" the hoodlum stopped short of himself when his eyes widened before he got struck in the face by a sharp swing from Evan's right fist. The man fell backwards from the strength of the yellow Pretender's punch. The sight of one of their own beaten at the intruding man's hand made the group cringe in fear, despite the fact that they had weapons in hand.

"I am in a very bad mood," Evan said. "Leave now unless you want me to cave your faces in."

The group of brutish males that swarmed the passage weren't in a mood to listen. Evan sighed and took up a defensive stance as three of them rushed forward with blades drawn. Evan

"You know, this is probably one of the best workouts that I've had in a while. I've been itching for a fight."

Charging in without a second thought, the group rushed in towards the brothers screaming at the top of their lungs. Evan jumped upwards and scaled the wall, whirling about in mid-air as he landed a kick on another one of the larger gang members. Chris followed through with a swift uppercut and a knee that sent the brutish fellow flying upwards.

Shirley and Milly watched in amazement as their dates swiftly dispatched their enemies with relative ease. A flurry of movement was exchanged between the twins and their adversaries, while another of the gang's number was sent flying above crashing into the wall.

Before the fighting continued any further a group of men donning police uniforms armed with pistols and other firearms were leveled in their direction. All of the people caught in the middle froze in realization that the Britannian police had the establishment locked down.

"All of you, stay where you are! Put your hands up where we can see them!" the leading police officer commanded. At that point everyone that was caught in the pincer movement of the newly arrive police raised their hands in surrender. The gang that attempted to kill the four friends dropped their weapons onto the deck for fear that they might be shot.

The commander on the scene soon gave a follow-on order to the twin. "You two, get onto your faces with hands interlocked behind your backs. Do it now!"

Leaving the situation in the hands of their saviors, the Snyder brothers lay onto the floor with their arms behind them as they were cuffed and led into wherever they were being taken. Milly and Shirley were also escorted alongside the police to some unknown destination. All four friends were unsure of what their fates would be.  
_ _ _

**Security Office  
Omantesando Mall, Tokyo Settlement**

Bounded in cuffs, Sunstreaker tried to come up with a solution without harming the security personnel. He was thankful of the fact that Sideswipe stole one of Spike's lockpicks so that they could make a break for it, which the red twin strongly advised against. Both twins spotted the girls as they gave their side to story on the disturbance by the Britannian gang. The yellow twin's train of thought was interrupted as he spotted an unfamiliar human flashing a badge before he walked inside the office where they were being held.

"Sir, you can't barge in here..." One of the officers said, trying to hold back the mysterious man from reaching the twins and their dates.

"Sure I can," the man said before he turned the officer in commanded the police keeping their guests at bay. The twins remained passive they realized it was Nightbeat, whose avatar kept his badge up high. "Detective Nick Lumberg. I'm here to pick these boys and their friends up."

The leading security officer in charge of the "I'm sorry, detective. I can't let you take them with you."

The Autobot inspector laughed off at the statement, before he replied back to the human, who was only shorter than his avatar by a few inches. "I've heard about these boys several days ago. They're good kids, albeit a little on the mischievous side. Check with precinct if you don't believe me," Nightbight lied skillfully to the security officer. The human shot a look of skepticism at his story, and phoned in with the Tokyo Police Department. The human made a few inquiries about Nightbeat before he turned back. The Britannian never realized that Chip hacked into the capital's phone lines and rerouted the calls to Harker/Ferguson.

"Alright, sir. You're good to go."

"Thank you very much, sir," Nightbeat smiled as he took his charges and escorted them out of the security office without any further hassle.  
_ _ _

The group of five walked towards the Autobot inspector's vehicle form, with the human girls ahead by several feet.

"Could you ladies wait in the car, please?" Nightbeat asked of the two Ashford students.

Shirley and Milly nodded in unison. While the female duo were at a reasonable distance in which the Autobots couldn't be heard, the inspector turned to face the two twins, who would soon become the subject of much scrutiny upon their return to the base.

"I was sent by Prowl to keep tabs on you two. You're both lucky that I got here when I did. He's going to have a field day since you knocked the living daylights out of those Britannians back there. From what I've seen, you really did a number on those people back there..."

"They had it coming," Sideswipe countered, albeit in a futile argument. "By the time they arrived they had us boxed in. It was unavoidable at that stage of the game."

"In spite of the way the situation turned out, I commend you both for keeping your friends safe. On the other hand, your little fight did a lot of collateral damage around the mall. From what I've seen, I'm guessing the cost to be somewhere around one to two million pounds. It's going to be hard keeping _that_ out of the local news channels. And since Prowl isn't privy to us drawing any unnecessary sort of attention, the likelihood of him allowing this to go unpunished is about slim to none."

"You can't be serious..." the red twin groaned in protest. Sunstreaker on the other hand said nothing and maintained his composure, not feeling one bit sorry for what happened earlier. Not that he really cared to begin with.

"I am serious," Nightbeat answered bluntly. He didn't have to sense what the two were thinking since they weren't exactly privy to the idea of being punished for an offense which was caused by the locals. The expressions on the twins' faces told him more than enough. "I know it stinks, but it's got to be done. I'll talk to Prowl to try to mitigate whatever he's gonna do to you."

Trying his best to reassure that Prowl doesn't drop the hammer on both of them too hard, he patted the brothers by their shoulders and gestured them to get inside the car.

"Come on, let's drive these girls home."  
_ _ _

**Student Dorms  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement******

While Nightbeat waited outside of the gate, the twins dutifully escorted their friends back onto the campus grounds. They stopped themselves short at the entrance into the building where the female students slept. Sunstreaker decided to wait further out while his sibling gave their parting words before they disappeared into the night. Leaves rustled into the air as the red twin faced the student council president. 

"I'm really sorry about tonight," Sideswipe said apologetically. In his spark he knew that the girls were terrified of what happened earlier. If it weren't for the twins, they could have been killed, or worse. Hesitant, he didn't know what else to tell them. The red twin simply stood in silence as the winds outside of the dorms built up in intensity.

"It's okay," Milly said. "At least we made it through safely because of you and your brother."

The blonde took Sideswipe in both her hands, and shook it in heartfelt appreciation. "And for that, we thank you."

"Uh, it's not a problem," Sideswipe replied, as the door gently closed in front of his face. Not that he never saw it coming, but the reactions on their faces told him that they were hiding something. Something that they weren't ready to admit openly. And he didn't have to ask them what it was.

The fear of the disturbance back at the mall were still fresh on the girls' minds.

If only the night could've gone better for the group. After taking in Nightbeat's words into consideration, they gradually weighed themselves deep into his processor. The twins were going to have some explaining to do when they got back.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Wheeljack shifted slightly as he adjusted his optics studying the monitor connected to an external materials scanner. His work schedule consisted mainly of developing new gadgets for the Autobot/human expedition, which took away his time to study the source which powered all KMFs. Next to it was a metallic chamber that housed the sakuradite battery recovered from a Knightmare Frame back in Shinjuku. Inside it gave a bright pink glow, was strangely gave him the impression that it was energon. And it wasn't the ordinary type.

"Hmm, this is odd. Computer, intensify magnification by a factor of ten."

As the instrument zoomed in, the molecules that formed the composition of the sakuradite

His body recoiled at the reaction of the sakuradite sample contained within the peripheral sensor adjacent to the device. One of the lines that fed power into the contained material sensor showered several sparks onto the building's floor.

"Ugh, and I just replaced that one too..." Wheeljack groaned. Unfazed, he continued on with his research on the sample he scanned, searching for more clues as the mystery of the sakuradite drew him further in.  
_ _ _

On the lower sub-level Prowl sat quietly on one of the recharge berths, studying the information that Chip and Nightbeat sent based on the files recovered from Lake Kawaguchi. His optics swept across the data pad as he scrolled down and pored over every aspect of the newly deciphered intel, including the names of facsimiles, their locations and their professions. The deputy commander stopped short at one entry pertaining to a scientist named Marcus Reinfield, whose relation was tied to the research consortium called the Rosenberg Institute. After some further digging, his optics stopped to where it would lead the Autobots' next destination. They were going to have to make a stop at the city of Narita.

Jazz seated himself on another one of the recharge berths looking over the equipment manifests in preparation for the trip to one of the research centers on the outskirts of the metropolis. He then sifted over to images sent to his data pad from Cosmos, who continued to maintain a vigilant watch over the city. After the lieutenant finished, he inspected the interiors of the newly constructed stasis charge, designed to immobilize targets as a supplement for the limpet mines in the Autobots' inventory.

"These little devices that Wheeljack rigged up will definitely come in handy when we encounter any of the Britannians army. The area's crawling with troops, though."

"Do you have something in mind?" Prowl asked of his colleague.

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. Marissa and Chip managed to fabricate some documentation that'll help us to gain entrance into the city, along with corporate KMF transports from private companies," Jazz said. "Whether it'll pass muster or not it's hard to say. If by chance we do, then we'll have to weave our way through the garrison carefully."

"Then that will have to suffice for now," the deputy commander said before he and his fellow officer heard a few pops and a small explosion on the floor above them.

_By Primus... What is he up to now? _Prowl's thought to himself, sensing that something was amiss, prompting him to tap his comm line. "Wheeljack, is everything alright up there?"

"Uh, everything's fine up here. That was just another one of the cables connected to my equipment," the engineer grunted. "I've been doing some metallurgical scans on a sample of sakuradite that we scraped up from the remains of one of the Knightmares we recovered. Its base composition is identical to ore-13."

"What?" There was a hint of shock in Prowl's voice, the deputy commander temporarily putting down his data pad. "Check again."

"I checked three times. There is no doubt about it. This is the real deal." Wheeljack emphasized of his assessment.

"How can there be ore-13 in this reality?"

"I don't know, I'll need to send this sample to Perceptor to examine it as well. But if the Decepticons have access to it, then we're in deeper trouble than we thought we were."

**End of Chapter 12  
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Author's note:

I named this chapter after the song by Fatboy Slim from the Doug Liman film Go. I might have to change this chapter just a tad bit. It feels a little... short. Any help on this matter would be highly appreciated.

Coming up next is the precursor to the battle at Narita, which isn't too far off.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	17. Chapter 13 Excursion

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**The Autobots and NSA agents infiltrate one of the research centers owned by the Rosenberg Institute near the Narita Mountains, unaware that the Decepticons are encroaching upon the same location.  
****  
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* * *

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**Chapter 13: Excursion**

Commercial Sector  
Narita, Area 11

Five trucks which contained several Autobots were situated throughout the outermost perimeter of the city. All of them had their holo-matter avatars activated to keep any curious onlookers away frominvestigating their presence. Britannian troops were scattered throughout the city, keeping any unwanted traffic except friendly forces that were traversing through the region.

Overhead images sent from Cosmo's built-in sensor arrays supplemented the Autobot/American team with real-time imagery of the area around the lab. Prowl's avatar narrowed his eyes as the Americans proceeded to make their way to the rooftop where they would make their entry. Although he never believed in religion, he thanked Primus that the Autobots managed to make it this far with the help of their human comrades. The vehicles of which they occupied were somewhat cramped, since they were designed to be more spacious for humans.

"Prowl, Spike here. We're at the designated point, moving into position now."

"Acknowledged," Prowl replied. "Remember, we need Reinfield alive."

"Copy that," the American answered.

While Cosmos indicated to Prowl. However grim the situation appeared for the Japanese, they could not interfere with the Britannian assault. The immediacy of their current situation with the retrieval of the Golden Disk took precedence. It was now a numbers game in which the loss of several hundred humans was meager compared to the potential deaths of thousands with the presence of the Decepticons in this world.

While he had reservations about all of the Autobots from the expedition leaving Tokyo to Narita due to the size of the city alone, and the chances of which an encounter with the human imperialist forces. He was confident in Marissa and Chip's ability to keep the outpost running smoothly while Prowl's group focused their efforts on supporting the NSA operatives in the field. Spike's team was maneuvering into position as the deputy commander tracked their signals with concern and attentiveness. **  
_ _ _**

Overhead from one of the condominiums, the SEAL commander and three other American agents scaled one of the adjacent buildings that led into one of the research centers that belonged to the Rosenberg Institute. Daylight spilled over the broad cityscape next to the mountainside. All of them donned urban camouflage uniforms to blend in with the buildings, and they wore balaclavas to conceal their faces before they prepared for their entry inside the laboratory.

Double-checking the map on his OPSAT, Spike cycled through the blueprints of the target building's interiors. A solid red line outlined the spaces where they would navigate and secure the facsimile from the confines of the laboratory. Upon seeing the time to commence, the SEAL turned to Delacruz and relayed his instruction.

"Alright, get the hook."

Nodding, Delacruz grabbed the grappling gun and fired the launcher, successfully latching onto the pipe that strutted from a rooftop.

"All set," the Hispanic American told his teammates, who connected the cable from the gun onto a connecting post where they would move down. The team of field operatives snapped harnesses onto their tactical vests snuggly before they latched an additional line onto the rappelling cable. After their preparations were complete, the team of four slid onto the line to the Britannian research facility.  
_ _ _

**Main Parking Garage  
Rosenberg Institute Lab, Narita**

Several scientists donning white coats pored over their checklists behind the railway in the garage. In the platform next to the massive cargo truck were several rows of capsules. Marcus Reinfield worked dutifully on his task of preparing to pull all data pertaining to the Geass users and biogenic weapons and migrate to another part of Area 11. He himself supervised the shipment of the capsules onto the cargo truck, which contained test samples of their latest experiment. Reinfield heard the ring of a cell phone and opened it before he heard the voice of the Decepticon air commander.

"Are the capsules ready to be shipped out?"

"Yes, they've already been loaded onto the trucks for transport."

"Good. Have them moved immediately, the war is about to begin," Starscream instructed.

"Understood. I'll contact you when my task is completed," the scientist replied before the line hung up. He turned to the truck finding that the driver did not start the ignition of the vehicle.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go, we have a schedule to keep!" Marcus called out to his group.

"What about you, Marcus?" asked one of the researchers.

"I'll catch up with you shortly. There are still some things I have to take care of back in the lab," Reinfield replied to one of his co-researchers.

_Such as erasing evidence that the master and his ally had any hand in this affair_.  
**_ _ _ **

More than twenty minutes passed as the NSA team navigated their way through the cables of the elevator lift and into the floor which contained the laboratories in the research center. They stopped and crawled into a ventilation shaft where the elevator remained still. On the roof of the lift was a cage that blocked the path through the shaft, which Solares removed by using a plasma torch to burn the corners and lift it off the wall.

Delacruz kicked the cage and landed atop a hapless Britannian soldier, crushing his skull beneath his helmet and killing him instantly. He turned his head 180 degrees from left to right, sweeping the area in a crouched stance with his pistol to make sure there were no surprises in the area.

"Clear," the heavyset agent whispered up to his comrades.

All of the other NSA operatives exited one-by-one out of the shaft as they slid their way down on the rappelling cable. Spike checked the maps on his OPSAT again as the seconds ticked by. The main lab in which Reinfield worked was in the hallway on the floor which the Americans were on. It was there where they would entrap the clone in his space and prevent him from escaping.  
_ _ _

**Industrial Sector  
****Narita, Area 11**

Sideswipe hated monitor duty, but since he and his sibling had the girls caught up in their little dispute with the Tokyo gang something had to be done in regard to their actions. While Prowl disliked the notion of leaving two of his best close quarters fighters behind, he could not allow to have the twins' escapade go unpunished. Hence, he decided to apply some military discipline and give them a firm reminder that the brothers were still under his command.

If Sideswipe wanted to he could've decked the deputy commander back at the outpost in a heartbeat. But for some odd reason he couldn't bring himself to strike the Autobot officer. Inside he pondered what could've been done differently when the twins and their female companions from Ashford were caught up in the former's entanglement against the Britannian gang back at the concession area. When the mission was over, he would ask for Jazz's help to make up for the chaos that wrecked the Beacon and a fair chunk of Omotosando Mall.

The truck where his vehicle form was contained was kept at a reasonable distance away from the laboratory to the mountain where a large Britannian force was advancing. The red mech tracked Drift and Mirage's signals as it blinked intermittently. Both of the stealthy Autobots moved from building-to-building, keeping their optics peeled for any unusual activity, which all of them knew was well underway. The red mech wanted to be there, right at the thick of the action.

He and his brother were segregated from each other to prevent them from doing anything brash lest they face a harsher punitive action. The other Autobots, who roamed on the perimeter near the mountainside to keep watch and keep any unwanted guests from interfering with the operation. He was partnered with Trailbreaker, who was assigned to keep watch on the red twin to enforce Prowl's edict in spite of the bigger Autobot's great reluctance.  
_ _ _

Sunstreaker kept his silence as he sat in the corner of the requisitioned imperial Knightmare transport, while Ironhide's avatar had its arms crossed watching the monitor screens. The yellow twin was bound in stasis cuffs to immobilize him. He gauged that while Ironhide was tougher than he is, the older Autobot wasn't as agile. Despite that, a head-on engagement against the red plated security officer wasn't an option. He would have to choose his actions carefully so that he could break his brother out.

Inwardly the yellow twin was glad about the fact that his hands weren't bound in stasis cuffs, lest the likelihood of breaking free would be even slimmer since they were constructed to inhibit a Transformer's higher functions. His avatar observed the monitor as Cosmos' sensor array relayed activity from the nearby mountain, where the viceroy's army were making their push into the suspected JLF stronghold.  
_ _ _

**Main** **Laboratory**  
**Rosenerg Institute Lab, Narita**

By the time the NSA operatives reached the door to the main lab, the four men split into pairs at opposite ends of the entrance, their backs leaning against the wall. As Spike took a cursory glance at his OPSAT module, he extracted a snake cam and slid it under the opening where he could see their target working on something. He retracted the cable back and turned to his field agents in preparation for a breaching action.

"You guys ready?"

"Ready as ever, sir," Delacruz said, followed by nods from the two other agents.

Spike cocked his pistol, the click of the weapon signaling their assault. "Go!"

The Hispanic field operative kicked the door, with the chief liaison leading, pistol pointed forward.

"YOU! DON'T MOVE!"

Charging forward towards the objective, Spike and grabbed the man's lab coat and slammed him against the wall.

"Are you Dr. Marcus Reinfield?"

The hapless individual raised his hands in surrender.

"Yes..."

"Give me your hands," Spike ordered. The scientist hesitantly obeyed the chief liaison's command as the latter pulled out flexicuffs and bounded Reinfield's hands with them. Spike dragged the man with a pull toward the computer terminal. After placing him to stand near the wall, the SEAL officer then instructed his field agents to keep watch over the entrance to prevent any intrusion from outside forces before he turned his attention back to the facsimile.

"Enter your code," Spike ordered the researcher with a gruff tone. He noticed that the man's body shuddered in fear. After hearing the click of the SEAL's silenced pistol, Reinfield obeyed and inputted his passwords into his terminal.

"Farmer, move him."

"Yes, sir."

As the scientist was escorted by Farmer away from the computer console, bound in flexi cuffs. Spike took a moment before he dug into the contents of the computer's hard drive and founded a folder on the desktop that caught his eye. Inside the folder was a file which contained notes and a lab journal annotating Reinfield's research.

**. . .**

**|CODE-R RESEARCH DATA|**

**|Attending researcher: Dr. Marcus Reinfield, PhD; Lukas International mutagenic joint RND team.| **

**|CASE NUMBER 2320140516| **

**Entry 6:**

**Test subject 1 shows sign of promising potential based on psionic emission levels detected after the use of her left eye. Test specimen was subjected to several doses of neurostimulants to suppress the girl's psionic abilities. Despite the amount given, the repression was unsuccessful. Subject showed signs of hysteria and hallucination, possibly a side effect due to the resistance of mutation of her DNA, creating antibodies to resist the effects of the drug. More tests would have to be conducted. **

**. . .**

Intrigued, the SEAL dug in deeper through the file directories and gradually became more disturbed at what he was reading when he stopped short at another case number which caught his attention. He sifted through a file which contained a photograph of a young woman, possibly in her 20s, who had gold eyes and long green hair that extended past her waistline. In several other photographs were children of different age groups, from 10 to 17, and all of them had a strange glow from their left or right eye. Just looking at the pictures sent chills through Spike's spine, before he continued reading through Reinfield's journal.

**. . .**

**|CASE NUMBER 4720160423| **

**Entry 001:**

**Test subject three suffering from personality disorder after with contact with subject Coraline. Analysis indicates that the result of initial infection brought the affected individual into a heightened level of hysteria. In the case of the recipient a neural implant would be needed to control the massive amount of psionic energy contained within the person.**

**. . .**

**. . .**

**Entry 020: **

**Post-surgery stage has been completed at this time. Despite the alterations made to test subject three's higher functions during the mutation process from infection, the psionic emissions given from him are still quite remarkable. **

**. . .**

**. . .**

**Entry 043:**

**Final analysis: test subject three died during attempted escape from the facility. Cause of death was due to the implant inserted inside the subject's body during surgery. With a setback like this, we'll have to start back at square one. **

**. . .**

Spike sifted through additional entries and stopped short at an image of a bird-like sigil. It emanated from the left eye of one of the recipients of whatever the 'R' gene was. Knowing that he has seized a wealth of information, he linked his OPSAT with Reinfield's computer and copied all of the files onto the module.

"Nightbeat, I founded something you might be interested in. I'm forwarding it to you now," Spike called through his satcom radio as he held his module and relayed the relevant entries from the computer to Nightbeat's vehicle, whose vehicle form was positioned within one of the trucks situated along the city's premises. "Ring any bells?"

"Interesting, that's the same symbol that I observed when Zero used his power on Gottwald before Kururugi's execution."

"They're from a digital lab journal belonging to Reinfield. Clearly the Britannians have been running experiments in this place. You think there's a connection?"

"It is possible that Zero's power originated from something, or someone - who has the gene embedded into their system. My guess is they've been weaponizing some sort of virus, whatever it is… to maintain dominance over the territories in which the empire controls."

"Seems a little far fetched considering that the Britannians have more than enough military capability to stretch its reach from continent to continent," Spike argued.

"I'm going to study the items that you sent me further in depth. Is there any more information that you found on from the journal?"

"Hang on, I'm looking through it now," the SEAL officer answered as he tapped on the keyboard.

**. . .**

**|CASE NUMBER 6020160517|**

**Entry 032**

**Our previous trials over the past several years concluded that previous test subjects died more quickly due to lack of proper development time for the mutation of the R gene since they were at an age where the likelihood of death was greater. Additional analyses would have to be conducted before we can do any more experimentation on other test subjects. **

**. . .**

**. . .**

**Entry 077**

**Subsequent analysis of who contracted the R gene from subject Coraline resulted in a substantial increase in cerebral activity and psionic output. **

**A contractor by the name of Thomas Arkeville paid a visit earlier today. He was impressed by what he saw and shown an interest in allocating additional funds into the research of the test subjects infused with the R gene. Those that have already been rendered invalid during the experimentation have been scheduled to be disposed of. **

**END OF JOURNAL**

**. . .**

Realizing in horror what the Britannians have done, and Arkeville's role in the matter, Spike's jaw clenched in anger as punched Reinfield with a swing of his right fist. The three other agents simply stood there, shocked at what the SEAL commander did. They knew that whatever he read on the facsimile's computer upset him greatly.

"Get him on his feet!" Spike barked to Solares, who grew somewhat concerned at the chief liaison's violent reaction just a few seconds earlier but nonetheless obeyed his order. The SEAL then turned to the Caucasian that carried explosives. "Farmer, you got any C-4 on you?"

"Yes, sir," the man replied.

"Pass me one."

Farmer arched an eyebrow. "Sir?"

"We're blowing this place to kingdom come. All of it," the SEAL said with gritted teeth. Farmer gave a nod and fished through the contents of his satchel, passing the military-grade explosive to the naval officer.

"Spike, this is Prowl. What's happening over there?"

"We're clearing out," the chief liaison replied to the Autobot deputy commander. "But I'm going to destroy this place first before we conclude our business here."

"What for?"

"I'm doing this world a favor by keeping the Britannians from using kids as weapons!" Spike yelled at the Cybertronian before he realized that the situation was affecting his judgment. "Don't worry, I don't intend to kill them. Once we're finished we'll meet you back outside."

"We'll be waiting," Prowl said back.

As Spike terminated his line to the expedition leader, he turned back to Reinfield's computer terminal and pulled

Spike smashed his fist into the fire alarm, and turned to his team. Delacruz carried the unconscious scientist over his left shoulder. The three other Americans waited for their leader to give the word to depart. "Let's go, we're finished here."  
_ _ _

**Industrial Sector  
****Narita, Area 11**

The reconnaissance element consisting of Jazz, Drift, and Mirage were close to the mountains in hiding. While the special ops lieutenant and the blue intelligence agent were stationed inside a transport, Drift crept atop one of the city buildings out of sight of the human denizens below. Ice blue optics peered out into the distance as numerous Britannian Sutherlands and Gloucesters pushed further into the summit of the mountains. Sections of the rocky terrain's lush green land were enveloped in a sea of blue and maroon, as though an ocean threatened to consume it.

Zooming in towards another area where the imperialists were traversing, the white mech spotted large bushes rustling into the distance not too far away from where the viceroy commanded. While he couldn't see what it was that stalked the lands around the summit, there were footprints on the ground that gave away its position. He also noticed that the shapes that formed the base of the prints in question were irregular and animal-like, albeit much bigger.

"Hmm, strange," Drift whispered quietly while stroking his chin. He tapped his voice comm circuit next to his helmet as he kept watch on the anomaly with narrow slits.

[Jazz, this is Drift. Is Cosmos' scanner picking up anything near the mountainside?]

[Nothing, bro. From what we're seeing the grid's clean. Anything going on out there?]

[I saw movement, coming from the trees out near base of the mountains.]

[Are you certain?]

[Positive. I can sense it in my spark. They were too big to be just Knightmare Frames.]

A moment of silence hung in the air before Jazz relayed his instructions to the blademaster.

[Alright then. Scout the area, but do not engage.]

[I'll report what I find when I get there.]  
_ _ _

**Britannian 16th Air Transport Squadron  
En route to Narita**

The three Seekers that formed the aerial contingent of the Decepticon forces in the region flew above the Britannian reinforcements that were en route to join their comrades near the base of the mountainside. Starscream led the flight with Thundercracker and Skywarp falling in a delta formation during the trip to the mountain. All of them were equipped with signal dampeners, masking themselves from the radar of the imperial aircraft that ferried Sutherlands within their cargo holds.

[The Britannians are moving to the Japanese stronghold as planned.] Thundercracker noted.

[Excellent. Hold formation until the transports unload the Sutherlands. While their attention is focused on the JLF forces, we will sneak in through the flight path I've designated.]

After several cycles passed, the aerospace commander checked his chronometer, wondering what was taking the facsimile so long to call him back.

[Strange, Reinfield should've contacted us by now. What in the Inferno is taking him so long?] Starscream said.

[You want us to go check on him?] Skywarp offered.

[It won't matter. Once our mission is complete, we'll head back into the city to retrieve him.]

Observing the massive encirclement eight thousand feet below, the Decepticon aerospace commander plotted to 'assist' the Britannians by providing air support to the imperial forces on the mountains, who would never know that their beloved viceroy would be assassinated before their very eyes and throw them into disarray.

[And since the Britannians' dear viceroy is out in the open, we are now in a position where we can get rid of her and take control of the government ourselves.] **  
_ _ _**

**Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

The Decepticon triple-changer Blitzwing hid himself within the safety of the forest with his chameleon mesh, essentially blending in with the terrain and masking himself from view of the Britannian forces that encroached on the mountains. The triple-changer's sensors picked up three squadrons of Sutherlands as they rolled up onto the cliff. His tank barrel itched to blast them all to smithereens, but his logic circuits overrode his instinct to destroy.

Kneeling next to him was the Predacon Divebomb, who kept his distance away from the triple-changer. Atop the aerial hunter's shoulder was a rocket launcher detached from one of his wings. Not a single word was exchanged between the two soldiers, since they had wildly different personalities. While they were both competent fighters, Blitzwing had a tendency to be more boisterous when in the thick of combat, a trait that could be a liability when the human imperialists make their push towards the Japanese hideout.

He inwardly laughed at the obliviousness of the Britannians and the Japanese to the Decepticon presence within the forests.

[Blitzwing to Starscream, me and Divebomb are on site and standing by.]

[Excellent, hold your position until arrive.]

[Acknowledged.]  
_ _ _

In another section of the forest the Predacons Tantrum, Headstrong and Rampage led by Razorclaw hid out of plain sight from the Britannians. Each appreciated the new alternate modes, since it matched with their individual personas and reputation as the greatest hunters in the Decepticon army.

"These new alternate modes that Starscream provided us with are fascinating," Ramhorn said, flexing his forearm as he swung his plated first into a tree. The wood from the tree splintered into several fragments, weakened from the amount of pressure used in the punch.

"Yes," Razorclaw said in self-admiration, glancing at his serrated claws on one of his leg joints. He liked the sense of liberation of which his new alternate mode gave him. Starscream called the Earth-based creature of which his form is based off a 'lion'. These new modes, along with the power of ore-13 coursing through their circuits, gave them a renewed feeling of superiority. "It suits us well."

"Why aren't we striking at the humans?" Tantrum complained to his superior.

"Because it is not time, yet," the Predacon commander answered. While he was not fond of having orders questioned, he understood their urge to hunt and fight. They all felt it, after many stellar cycles of cryogenic stasis they were roaming free like the creatures of the lands which they were stalking.

[Razorclaw, is your team in place?]

[Awaiting your orders,] the Predacon commander replied. It felt like acid spewing through his vocalizer. While he did not welcome the notion of working for the one mech who constantly undermined Megatron's authority, the thrill of fighting against potentially worthy prey washed out his concerns in regard to the aerospace commander. When the dust settled, he would have to do something about Starscream.

[Good, we'll be landing shortly. Once we arrive we'll converge on the viceroy's position and eliminate her when her forces are far enough.]

_And so the hunt begins_, Razorclaw thought with relish. ****

End of Chapter 13

Author's note:

This is the precursor chapter to what will be a three-parter for the Battle of Narita.

In regard to Geass, I've been looking around what kind of power it is, though I have reason to believe that it may be a mutagenic power, though it might also possibly be a magical one as well.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	18. Chapter 14 Narita War, Part 1: Test Run

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**As the Japan Liberation Front faces the might of Cornelia's forces, the Decepticons strike.**

****

Chapter 14: Narita War, Part 1: Test Run

**Summit  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

An annoyed Lelouch stood impassively as Tamaki challenged him for leadership of the Black Knights. The black haired Britannian wasn't in a mood to be undermined, especially in a moment as critical as the one they were in. Surrounded by Britannians all around the mountain, he had a schedule to keep and wasn't about to let some upstart take his place.

"So you think you can lead the Black Knights?"

Ohgi, Kallen, and all the other senior members present locked their gazes at the feud between the ex-prince and aimed his pistol squarely at Tamaki. A moment meant to be seized, right there for the taking. The man talked a lot, but was he willing to take the mantle of leadership from Zero?

"Our path of retreat has been cut off. If you think you can win without me then shoot me. Someone. Anyone!"

Not one person moved out of their places. All of them, including the would-be usurper of the throne, kept eyes wide at their leader.

"Since you've joined the Black Knights you have two choices: you can either fight with me, or you can die with me!"

The oratory kept all who were present frozen in place.

"What's wrong? Challenge me and take me down!" Lelouch dared.

"Alright, fine. Do what you want," was all that Tamaki managed to say, realizing that he didn't have the fortitude to take command from Zero.

"We acknowledge you as our leader, Zero," Ohgi emphasied.

Lelouch formed a circular curve on his lips. "Thank you very much. I appreciate that."  
_ _ _

**Southwestern Forestlands,  
Narita Mountains, Area 11  
**  
Explosions showered the area as the Seeker squadron led by Starscream dropped several cluster bombs, which dispersed into smaller leaflets as they destroyed the Japanese armored tank division which blocked the southeastern approach where the forces under the command of the human generals Darlton and Alex were coming.

The situation seemed to be working in their favor. While the imperialists closed the gap to prevent any JLF troops from escaping, the Decepticon fighters banked at low altitude before separating and landing in different spots surrounding the Britannian viceroy's location. It was the window which Starscream had waited for with anticipation.

[Soundwave, is the beam ready?]

[Affirmative.]

[Initiate the jamming now.]  
_ _ _

A phalanx of Gloucesters and Sutherlands with lances, assault rifles and anti-armor cannons formed behind Cornelia. She anticipated that the Japanese would fight to their last breath. Her sensor displays from her factsphere, combined with satellite imagery relayed from one of the G-1 bases, made the second princess smile in delight since her campaign was proceeding smoothly. Her moment of triump ended when the screen that displayed the topographical map changed into static.

"General Alex, status report?"

"What's happening out there? Darlton? Guilford?" Cornelia called. The quietness of the tactical radio was unnerving. Sweat dripped on her forehead. Although she had resolve as hard as steel, she did not find the current atmosphere welcoming in the slightest.

"Any friendly unit, radio check,"Cornelia said.

"Sabre One here, your highness," called Captain Richter from his Sutherland.

"What's going on with our communications? Why can't we hear anyone?" she asked in a noticeibly irate tone.

"I'm not picking up any transmissions from General Darlton, General Alex or Commander Guilford."

"Send a scout team to find Guilford. I have a feeling that something is very wrong."

"At onc – " Richter began before he was summarily cut off by weapons fire directly into his KMF's cockpit.

"We're under attack!" called one of the warrant officers under Richter's command.

"The trees! They're coming from the trees!"

"Greetings, viceroy. It is an honor to bask in the presence of a member of the imperial family."

From the trees in front of her a metallic figure emerged from within. It had a black helm over what appeared to be red eyes. In the middle of its torso was a cockpit that was similiar to ones of a military fighter craft. Wings stuck out from its back and pointed upwards.

When she turned around two more identical machines strode from behind, one all blue with red-white trimmings, while the other was black and purple. All of them bore a purple mouthless facial insignia, and all of them were equally menacing. To her dismay, the small group of Gloucesters and Sutherlands that covered her flank were reduced to smoking piles of debris. She turned to face the machine that was in front of her again and studied its weaponry. On the surface they appeared to be cannons attached to its shoulders, where it fumed smoke. It was a clear sign that it this machine was the culprit in the attack against her defenders.

"Who or what in blazes are you?" the second princess demanded through her cockpit speaker.

Sporting an arrogant smirk, the machine calmly replied: "Why, we're the harbingers of death. The hour of your judgment has come."  
_ _ _

**Underground Tunnels  
Metropolitan Section, Narita**

Having escaped from the confines of the laboratory, Spike's team of NSA operatives set up C-4 throughout the compound which they have infiltrated before they made haste of their departure away from any nearby . When the SEAL tripped the fire alarm earlier, all of the staff and security personnel evacuated safely believing there was a fire in the main lab. The Britannians never realized that their American visitors left several surprise packages in the form of explosives placed in critical sections throughout the building's infrastructure.

As soon as the NSA agents reached a safe distance, Spike pulled the a remote out of his tactical vest. He clicked it with his thumb and detonated the C-4 inside the facility. The numerous explosions aboveground could be heard at several hundred meters from their current position.

"Prowl, this is Spike, we've cleared the lab."

"Glad that you made it. I'm relaying the coordinates of the rendezvous point several city blocks away from the garrison."

Spike held his OPSAT up front as the device downloaded the images which Prowl sent him.

"Be seeing you back on the surface," the SEAL commander said as he led his team further in the tunnels.  
_ _ _

**Southwestern Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

"Insolent wretch!" Cornelia bellowed as she launched her slash harkens again and latched onto the unusual machine that towered over her Knightmare. It was durable and tough, but it wasn't as agile as her mech. While she had her assault rifle in hand she blazed away at the enemy unit. The princess eyed it warily as he moved to the side, avoiding the thrust of her lance.

"You're as formidable as the reports say," Starscream observed. "However, I can't allow this to continue as it is."

"Whatever you are, I'll do whatever it takes to beat you!"

"Oh, I'm most certain you will. Provided that you live long enough."

Skywarp and Thundercracker occupied themselves in fighting against the numerous enemy Knightmares that swarmed the Seekers' location. While the humans in their reality were weak, these machines proved to be slightly more due to the fact that they're capable of standing toe-to-toe against the Autobots.  
_ _ _

**Control Room  
JLF Central HQ, Narita Mountains**

General Katase was not in a happy mood. The grizzled Japanese commander who had more than twenty-five years of service under his belt held a grim look on his visage. Staff officers scrambled as the casualties for the Japan Liberation Front climbed to the hundreds. The stress of the situation at hand as Brittanian forces dotted the screen that showed the map around the headquarters slowly being swallowed by Cornelia's seemingly unstoppable army.

"Major Tamata has been killed!"

"Narata and Kurata are gone, sir!"

"What about Nagai?"

As each of the names were called out and the battle reports continued trickling in like rainwater, the general tilted his head downward. He knew each one of those officers personally, wishing them luck before the battle began. The freedom of the Japanese people would never be realized.

"Tohdoh, if only Tohdoh was here the divine wind would blow. We'd have another Miracle of Itsukushima!"  
_ _ _

**Summit**  
**Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Unaware of the fighting between Cornelia and her mysterious adversary, Lelouch ordered the Black Knights to sortie.

In the middle of the Black Knights' formation was their trump card, the Guren Mark II. Its massive figure shined under the sun as the surface of its plating gleamed bright. Its claw arm directed its palm on a cylindrical object that possessed great destructive potential. Lelouch procured it with the hope that it would envelop Cornelia's army in a massive mudslide of which there is no escape, making her an easy target for capture.

"That's a lot of air support they have up there," Ohgi observed from the transports above. A small group of gunships flew in formation alongside the cargo planes, their ultimate goal of annihilating the JLF not far from their reach.

"With our IFF signals inactive it won't be a problem. Their bombers are focused on getting the Japan Liberation Front out in the open. We'll use the battle as a diversion to get to her. Black Knights, prepare to move out!"

Finding the courage and motivation they need to fight, the Japanese rebels under Zero's command took up their arms in

"We the Black Knights are going to launch a surprise attack on the Britannians from the summit of the mountain. On my order, you will charge down point three. The intent of this operation is to capture Cornelia, second princess of Britannia. Our breakthrough route will be opened by the Guren Mark II," Lelouch said before he relayed the order that would

"Kallen, use penetrating electrode number three. Settle things with one blow."

"Output, confirmed. Radiant Wave Surger levels steady."

Inside the Guren's cockpit, Kallen took a breath before she exhaled, her thumb on the trigger which controlled the gauntlet of her Knightmare. This was the moment of truth for the Black Knights. Her closed for a moment as she thought back on her childhood days before the occupation began.

"Induction!"

Kallen depressed her thumb on the gauntlet trigger, where energy from the Guren's forearm surged through into the Radiant Wave Surger courtesy of a certain Indian scientist. For a moment, nothing happened. Thirty seconds after a reaction was achieved, much to Lelouch's delight.

"It worked!" Kallen exclaimed in excitement. While her enthusiasm on taking on the Britannians was at an all-time high, she was unaware of the devestation that would ensue as the ground shook in reaction to the canister. What triggered afterwards was a quake that grew in intensity as the water below the terrain which the Black Knights stood upon exploded and spilled outward, the combating forces far below oblvious of the fate that approaches them.  
_ _ _

**Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11 **

The cloak from Cornelia's Knightmare flapped as the winds cut through the air. Starscream had to respect the princess for lasting this long in their duel, as expected of a commander of her caliber. The Decepticon officer flared up his thrusters and launched forward, slamming a fist into the torso of the viceroy's Gloucester as it staggered backwards from the impact. Hovering over the ground before he landed back onto the grass, he brushed his palms together before he began his final act.

"You're really starting to vex me," Starscream said as he brought his null rifle to bear at the head of Cornelia's Gloucester. Her persistance in staying alive against the Decepticon onslaught was about to come to end. "I believe it is –-"

"What in the Inferno..." the Seeker began before his chassis was washed up in the same avalanche that engulfed the majority of Cornelia's forces and many of the Japanese defenders. As he got caught in the mass, he yelled out into to the top of his cooling fans in desperation.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"  
_ _ _

Several cliffs further below the summit were JLF Burais piloted by Lieutenants Toji and Saiga firing against swathes of Britannian Gloucesters that approached the mountain command center. Lieutenant Toji glanced up from inside his Burai's cockpit via factsphere as he felt the earth shaking beneath his feet.

"What's happening?" Toji inquired.

"Is this an earthquake?" his comrade, Saiga asked afterwards.

"It can't be... at a time like th –-" said Toji before the two Burais were overtaken by the wave that originated from the zenith of the mountain.  
_ _ _

**Commercial Sector ****  
Narita, Area 11**

"Prowl, this is Comsos. I'm detecting seismic activity near your location."

"Origin?"

"It's coming from near the top of the mountains, and it's heading in the city's direction."

The outward wave that the mini-bot in space sent to Prowl's monitor sizzled the expedition leader's processor. His avatar activated the console, allowing him to exit via his vehicle form and transform. Prowl grew alarmed with optics wide as he tapped into his comm link and opened sent an emergency message to all of the Autobots that were still in the city.

"All friendly units, this is a priority one order! Evacuate your positions now!"

Not wasting another second, the deputy commander shifted back into vehicle form and drove as far away as he could from the rapidly approaching mass.  
_ _ _

**Underground Tunnels  
Metropolitan Section, Narita**

Ripples formed as the NSA operatives continued their trek to their designated return point. A disturbance from the surface over their heads rocked the ground heavily. As seconds passed by the intensity of the the shaking increased.

"What was that?" Farmer ask.

"It sounds like... an earthquake," Solares noted.

"An earthquake at a time like this?" Delacruz said, with Reinfield's body limp over his shoulders.

"Which means trouble," Spike concluded. "Looks like we're going to be stuck down here for the moment," Spike said as he checked his OPSAT. The sewage water splashed gently in spite of the rampant activity above. The SEAL commander sensed that the Britannian assault on the Japan Liberation Front's army topside. A question surfaced in his mind as to the cause of the earthquake, and he had a feeling in his gut he wasn't going to get an answer any time soon.  
_ _ _

**Mining Sector  
Narita, Area 11 **

A fleet of mining vehicles that attempted to evacuate from the fighting were blockaded from the inside, since there was a critical sakuradite mining operation going on which required Joseph Fenette's presence on the scene. Irate, the economics advisor stepped out of the truck that he was in out towards a pair of soldiers garrisoned.

"What the hell is going on?" the economics advisor demanded of the trooper.

"Sorry, sir. Traffic's blocked here, so you'll have to take an alternate route."

"Well that's just great. You can tell your superior that –-"

Joseph Fenette's mouth grew agape in horror as the mudslide accelerated downward, swallowing a group of imperial soldiers that were nearby and engulfing them in a sea of liquid dirt and rock. His last thought was that of his daughter Shirley.

**End of Chapter 14 **

Author's note:

And thus is the opening salvo in the Battle of Narita as the Autobots, Decepticons, Britannians and Black Knights compete for supremacy. Expect more bloodshed for all parties involved.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	19. Chapter 15 Narita War, Part 2: Predators

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**While the Britannian forces scramble to search for Cornelia, the Black Knights swoop into action to capture her.**

**Chapter 15: Narita War, Part 2: Predators**

Inner City Ruins  
Narita, Area 11

Buried under a mass of dirt and water, Ironhide was lucky that he fired a burst of liquid nitrogen into the surface of the mudslide that hit his direction before it engulfed the city. After testing the affected surface above him, Ironhide swung a fist and noticed a crack in the barrier. He would need Sunstreaker's assistance in breaking through to get above ground and contact the rest of the Autobots that were scattered around the remains of the metropolis.

"How're you holding up?" the security officer asked of the yellow twin.

"I'm fine," Sunstreaker replied.

"Good, because I'm going to need your help to get out of here," the older Autobot pointed out to the solidified ceiling above them. Both Cybertronians used their combined strength to smash right through and climb out of their trappings.

"As much as I'd hate to say this despite the help you've given, you're still on restriction. Unless Prowl says otherwise, I got to bound you in stasis cuffs when we meet with your brother and Trailbreaker."

_Then I guess I'll have to do something about that now, won't I_? The yellow twin asked in his processor.  
_ _ _

Several blocks further away from where Ironhide and Sunstreaker were trapped, Trailbreaker and Sideswipe were dealing with a similar predicament ever since the landslide occurred. It was sheer luck that they managed to pull through and into an underground tunnel where the pair of Autobots could escape and get back out into the open.

"You alright, Sideswipe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the red twin waved the mudslide off as if it was nothing.

"We better check on the others."

Sideswipe nodded and followed the defensive specialist as they began their search for the rest of their comrades.  
_ _ _

Feeling lucky that he managed to escape unscathed, Prowl transformed in a secluded area where none could see him.

"Where's everybody else?" the deputy commander asked.

"They're still catching up. Drift is already ahead of us," Jazz answered. He noticed that the expedition leader shot a curious look at the special ops lieutenant. "He sensed that something was up and went to check it out. Mirage is out in hiding keeping a lookout."

"I hope he's doing alright," Prowl said with hands placed on his hips.

"I wouldn't be too worried about him," the special ops lieutenant chuckled. "That mech's got plenty of tricks in his bag."

Prowl gave a nod before he called up the resident mini-bot who was high up in orbit and served as their eyes and eyes. [Cosmos, have you relayed the satellite data of the occurrence over the last two megacycles?]

[The last pulsewave with the latest imagery should be reaching you momentarily.]

[Thank you.]

Prowl held his forearm up as the images downloaded into the display and cycled through. Amongst the dozens of images that rapidly went through like a bullet train, the expedition leader's optics narrowed at the sight of two Cybertronian Seekers.

"Decepticons," Jazz said.

"That's strange… why didn't we detect them earlier? Unless…" Prowl said before the special ops lieutenant finished his sentence for him.

"They're using signal dampeners and chameleon meshes."

"If that's the case, then I think it's time we intervened directly," the deputy commander murmured.

"What do you want to do when the rest of the team gets here?" Jazz asked.

"We'll form up into groups and combat them," Prowl said as he tapped into his voice comm circuit again. [All units: check in.]

[Ironhide and Sunstreaker here,] Ironhide called.

[Trailbreaker and Sideswipe, awaiting instructions,] Trailbreaker said afterward.

[Nightbeat, Ratchet and Wheeljack standing by,] the Iaconian inspector said last.

[Gentlebots, we just received visual confirmation that the Decepticons themselves are here in the area. We'll rendezvous at the following coordinates and arrange into two teams to take on the enemy.]

[What about the Britannians?] the chief security asked.

[Fire only if fired upon. The situation's volatile enough as it is.]

Prowl made it a point that the upcoming battle with their long-time enemies would require the efforts of all the bots present. That included two certain mechs which he placed on restriction long before the operation started. Mavericks though they may be, they were the brawlers of the group.

[As for Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, I am temporarily lifting your restriction due to the fact that we'll need all the botpower we have available to take on the Decepticons.]

[Acknowledged,] the Autobot personnel answered in unison before Prowl and Jazz went back to talking about their next course of action.

"You think Megatron's actually here leading the 'Cons?" the special ops lieutenant inquired.

"I don't know," Prowl admitted to his friend. "I would hate to find out that's he actually here on location."

Jazz nodded. "You and me both, bro."  
_ _ _

**Northeastern City Ruins  
Narita, Area 11**

He refused to believe it.

Of all the things that had to happen, Starscream had to become an unwitting victim to a landslide. The bleakness of the situation he was in told him it was Primus' way of playing a cruel joke. Most of his body save his head and right hand were stuck under the thick, dark brown-gray goo that engulfed the majority of the city. From above the air came Skywarp, who sneered at the sight of the mech whose chassis was buried underneath the mass alongside the rest of the ruins.

"Need a little help, Starscream?" Skywarp jived at the aerospace commander.

Irate, the aerospace commander was not in the mood for another one of Skywarp's tirades. "Get me out of here at once!"

"I don't know. You look great when you're stuck under the mud!"

Starscream scowled at his subordinate. "If you don't get me out of here this instant, then I'll make sure you'll regret the day you ever came online!"

The black-purple Decepticon scoffed at his superior officer. "Spoilsport."

Offering a hand, Skywarp grabbed Starscream by his wrist and used his teleportation power to bring the white Seeker out of his predicament. Finding his chassis and weapons caked in mud, grime and water, the aerospace commander went in a fit of rage.

"When I find whoever did this, I will make them suffer for my humiliation!" Starscream swore while clenching his fists.  
_ _ _

**Command Bridge  
G-1 Mobile Base, Narita Mountains**

Euphemia li Britannia has been present ever since the battle against the Japan Liberation Front began. She had trouble trying to cope with the carnage, as citizens that managed to escape from the landslide that overtook the city crept their way toward the base in a state of fear. Next to her were Colonels Roberts and Jenkins, both of them veterans from the Area 11 occupation campaign back in 2010 and the conquest of Area 18. All around chatter from staff officers assigned under her command were actively engaged in communication with units on the field. Everyone on the bridge focused on trying to make sense of the situation with Cornelia's sudden 'disappearance' from action. Leftover Knightmare squads attempted to reorganize themselves after the devastating losses sustained from the hydro-volcanic eruption.

"This is Marceau unit: I can't raise General Alex on any of our frequencies. It looks like the second division has been wiped out!" a female voice called on the radio.

"Communication with the viceroy has been lost, I can't raise her on any of own comm channels," one of the bridge techs said. "We can't track her IFF signal, either."

"There must be other forces at work here," Jenkins surmised. "We _had_ the JLF right in our hands."

"We still have a squadron of F-23s overhead from the last bombing run. We can have them conduct a recon mission to look for the viceroy at her last known position," Roberts suggested, pointing towards a highlighted circle on the digital map display in the center of the bridge.

"All right, call them in and have them commence a search pattern of the area," Jenkins ordered.

While the two senior officers circulated their orders to the surviving units, the familiar visage of the contractor leading the Lancelot's development team along with his assistant and test pilot appeared on top of the tactical map, sporting an unusually gleeful look in his eyes.

"Why hello there," Lloyd said. "Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, at your service."

"How dare you! Why are you calling through this line?" Roberts snapped at the civilian scientist.

"I believe you are in need of assistance, yes?" Lloyd asked.

"You irregulars should mind your manners and just stick to observing! You have no business in interfering with this battle!" Jenkins yelled with a reprimanding tone.

"Under normal circumstances we would, sir. But..." Cecile began.

"All this waiting around is awfully boring..." the eccentric contractor said, finishing his assistant's sentence as he adjusted his glasses.

"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, please allow us to deploy into battle," Suzaku begged of the princess.

"You want to go to battle to gain glory for rescuing the viceroy! What difference is one unit going to make when our entire army is out there fighting?" Roberts reasoned.

"That's the point isn't it? If you lose one unit it won't reflect badly on you," Lloyd countered, knowing full well of the political repercussions by allowing a Japanese man to fight in what was supposed to be a straightforward battle between the imperial forces and the rebels.

"I understand. Please do what you must. And… good luck." Euphemia said.

"I promise I will not fail you," Suzaku assured her.  
_ _ _

**Raven Flight  
Patrol Zone 3B  
**  
Before Cornelia began her attack, a squadron of stealth fighters conducted bombing raids  
against different fortified positions of the JLF stronghold with their payloads. Ever since the Japanese adopted guerilla tactics they have grown adept at entrenching in areas which made it difficult to force them out in the open. While the imperial forces on the ground moved up the mountains before they were swept up by the landslide, the squadron returned to the airship that ferried them into the combat zone.

Major Paul Stanfield exhaled behind his oxygen mask as he watched his flight instruments. He heard a beep and checked his monitors, noticing an incoming message.

"This is Iron Keep to Raven leader, please respond," a deep and masculine voice radioed.

"Raven lead here, Sacred Keep," Stanfield replied. Sacred Keep was the call sign assigned to Princess Euphemia's HQ by Cornelia. The viceroy's call sign was Iron Keep, regardless of where she was positioned. Her whereabouts remained a top priority for all Britannian forces, and the air cavalry were the only assets fast enough to find the missing second princess.

"Iron Keep has gone missing."

"Say again?" the major asked.

"I repeat: Iron Keep is missing," the voice said. "Scout her last known position and relay your findings upon arrival."

Stanfield checked the recognition codes sent from the G-1 base. This was the real deal.

"Roger, order acknowledged. Squadron leader to Raven flight, break off into pairs and conduct air reconnaissance bearing two-five-nine. Be thorough in your sweep."

"What's going on, Raven One?" one of his wingmen called.

"I just received a call from the sub-viceroy's HQ. Communication with the viceroy has been cut off about a little more than twenty minutes ago," Stanfield said through his radio. "Once we find her we'll call back headquarters."

"Copy that, Raven One."

The 12-plane fighter squadron fired up their afterburners and broke formation into twos, keeping their eyes peeled on the ground below as they looked for the missing second princess.  
_ _ _

**Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Warrant Officers McAllister, Creed and Loeb were part of the search party dispatched from Euphemia's auxiliary force to search for Cornelia. Their task proved to be no less easier due to the inability to communicate with the second princess and the Britannian forces were in disarray. Regardless of the gravity of the army's situation, the three Knightmare operators worked in concert with each other as they continued their search for the missing viceroy.

While McAllister studied his navigational readings on the princess' last known position, Creed called him and Loeb through the comm panel with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Did you see that?" Creed said.

"What is it?" Loeb asked of his fellow pilot.

"I thought I saw something behind one of the trees."

"You're imagining things." McAllister bluntly said.

"I'm not kidding, damn it!" Creed emphasized.

Loeb being the more senior pilot pondered the situation for a moment before "Alright, let's check it out."

The two Sutherlands broke off and went to investigate the disturbance. After a several minutes  
McAllister heard shouts through the net.

Sweat poured down McAllister's temples, his hands shaking nervously. Fear trickled throughout his entire body like a rampant disease. The pilot clutched his controls tightly, an urge growing to shoot at random out into the wilderness where he felt isolated and completely alone.

"Creed?"

"Loeb?"

Static filled the communications net.

"Anybody!"

The last thing he saw as he turned his KMF was a massive mechanical lion as it pounced on his machine by surprise.  
_ _ _

In beast mode Razorclaw watched his victim squirm on the ground as it struggled to break free of his weight. He fired his shoulder cannons to pierce through the human Sutherland's armor. Seconds he cleaved through the cockpit and killed the operator simultaneously. The Predacon leader founded these human machines to be frail regardless of their construction.

"Pathetic little wretch," he growled while baring his fangs.

"Commander, this is Headstrong. There's no sign of the viceroy."

"Find her. Scour the entire forest. And get ahold of Starscream."

"We haven't been able to raise him, sir," Rampage informed.

"Where in the Inferno is that blasted Seeker?" the Predacon leader grumbled.  
_ _ _

Covered in a massive cloth stolen from an unmanned KMF, Drift focused on his spark energies on tracing the source of the anomaly which he spotted earlier. He tapped into his telepathic abilities, learned from stellar cycles of rigorous training in the long forgotten art of Circuit-Su. The psionic disciplines in which he studied assisted his neural processor to differentiate his surroundings. As the scenery around him changed into darkness, he sensed other spark energies nearby. The pulsing sphere in his spark core resonated in response to the presence of other Transformers. Their emanations grew stronger for every step he took.

Drift stopped himself short when he noticed a pair of Gloucesters from an isolated Britannian squadron as they stood watch. Their bodies perked up as they moved from their positions towards an adjacent area where a disturbance occurred. Drift decided to follow the humans and narrowed his optics at the sight of a familiar mech that he had met millions of stellar cycles ago.

The Cybertronian blademaster recognized the mechanical bull as the Predacon Tantrum. Blowing fumes out of his beast mode's snout, the hunter warrior discharged lightning from his horns before he slammed his horns into the torso of a lone Sutherland. As Drift slowly withdrew his blade, he heard the click of an assault rifle behind him. He remained calm and kept his composure as the pilot of a Britannian Gloucester gruffly issued his commands to him.

"Don't move."

His back in front of the KMF's weapon, Drift got on his feet and took several steps backwards. The human pilot still had his Knightmare's assault rifle trained on him.

"I said stop moving!"

The cyber-ninja estimated that it would only be a few more paces until he could place his enemy right where he wanted. Drift quickly spun about and swung his right leg into its factsphere helmet before he grasped it by the arm and threw it into the air. The maroon-colored mechanoid body slammed through one of the trees, smashing the plant into dozens of fragments before it crashed onto the grass.

"Lieutenant Ramirez!"

Another Gloucester used its lance and attempted to impale Drift before he fired his jump jets and balanced himself on the human mecha's melee weapon. Seconds afterwards he landed a kick on its helmet and knocked the Knightmare down. The crash of the human operated machine clanged loudly as it fell onto the ground.

"Never wise to attack a practitioner of the Cybertronian arts," Drift smiled proudly as he held to his cloak.  
_ _ _

Tantrum fought against the Britannian troops in a fit of rage. The urge to fight dominated his actions, as he ran in beast mode against a Gloucester whose ammunition bounced off of his armor like pellets against steel. Ore-13 that trickled throughout his body threw his neural processor into a blood lust as he thrashed one foe after another with reckless abandon. He would soon find himself face-to-face against an adversary that brandished a massive cloth around itself, and gave a cursory glance at the Predacon, as though he was being studied. Ice blue optics changed into narrow slits as the hunter warrior issued his dare against the newcomer.

"Another challenger, eh? Come forth so I can slag you!" Tantrum snorted through his vocalizer, his horns arcing with electricity around their tips.

His opponent remained silent, and moved towards Tantrum at blinding speed. Feeling motivated to turn his enemy to scrap, the bull charged forward with reckless abandon. His adversary rolled to the side to avoid being impaled by his horns. Angry and wanting to put an end to the fight quickly, the Predacon fueler changed into robot form and drew his blade from his chassis. He swung his weapon in a blaze of fury, only to find that his attacks were not hitting his opponent as intended. It was as if his movements were being telegraphed.

"Obviously you're skilled. The only question is: how long do you think you can keep this up?"

The cloaked figure assumed a defensive stance, and took the initiative against the Predacon fueler. Underneath the cloth were arms and black-plated servos protected by hand guards as it continued towards its path of attack. Surprised, Tantrum attempted to evade the strikes meant for him but wasn't fast enough, finding himself vastly outmatched. Its hands struck him in the midsection several times at lightning speed. A kick connected under his chin as it knocked him flat on his back.

"G'uh..."

"What… are you?"

"The bot that defeated you," the mech staunchly replied, Tantrum's vision turning into darkness.  
_ _ _

**Summit  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Surveying the destruction after Kallen's attack, Lelouch grinned inwardly at the brilliance of his well-executed strategy.

_It's even more destructive than I imagined_, the ex-prince thought to himself. By now Cornelia is isolated. _Perhaps I should've consulted a physics teacher? Or maybe I should've asked Nina in performing the calculations?_

"Black Knights, get ready to move down the designated point on my command."

"Roger. All units are standing by," Ohgi acknowledged through the radio.

"Move out!" Lelouch ordered the group.

The contingent of Black Knight Burais and the Guren Mark II sullied forth into battle like medieval warriors mounted on the steed of their horses. Other ground personnel with assault rifles and RPGs combed through the trees and hills as they moved into their firing positions. This fight would be their moment of truth, where they would hunt down and attempt to capture the viceroy. Unbeknownst to them, the lower regions were being scoured by hostile forces hell-bent on killing her at any cost.  
_ _ _

**JLF Convoy  
En route to the Narita Mountains**

A pair of KMF transports seized from one of the Britannian rammed through one of the blockades as the driver's wheel was locked in the automatic position, allowing the five individuals within to man their specially modified Knightmare Frames. Long antennae protruded off the sides of their helmets, their mecha shining under the brilliance of the sun as the platforms elevated to the roofs of the trucks' storage compartments.

In the lead Burai Kai was Tohdoh Kyoshiro, who stood as the only commander that managed to successfully defeat the Britannians in a tactical engagement. He was a man who would further his standing as a hero among the Japanese people and within the ranks. Behind him were his lieutenants: Chiba, Asahina, Senba and Urabe; all of them veterans of the war against the occupation forces seven years earlier. They are known to friend and foe alike as the Four Holy Swords.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes sir!" said the Holy Sword officers.

"Deploy the Burai Kais."

"Deploying!"

"Listen carefully: if this landside was manmade, it should be able to allow us to catch Cornelia. Capture her, and make them pay for what happened seven years ago!"

"By the honor of the Four Holy Swords!"  
_ _ _

**ASEEC Trailer  
Reserve Lines, Narita Mountains**

Ready for action, Suzaku adjusted his flight suit before taking the controls. It was just like the previous missions where he sortied, the adrenaline of action rushing forth through his body like a tide where its ebb and flow grew stronger. It wasn't just mere excitement that drove him, but the sense of urgency of the situation at present which was on his conscious.

As much as he respected Zero for what he was doing, he didn't approve of the vigilante's methodology. Hence, he made it a personal mission to bring the man to justice. As the Honorary Britannian eased his muscles, he paid heed to Cecile briefing him before he departed on his mission.

"Advanced weapons system Z-01 Lancelot will use the sand boards to move up the liquefied slope at max combat speed and rescue the viceroy. Be warned, her IFF signal is off-line and communications is unavailable. You'll be working alongside air reconnaissance teams to search for her."

"Understood."

As the Lancelot leaned forward and assumed a sprinter-like posture from its launch platform, Lloyd interrupted before the experimental machine's pilot went off on his mission. "Suzaku, if you don't mind me asking: you hate people dying more than anything, yet you're in the military. Why so?"

"Are you sure this is a wise time to be asking that, Lloyd?"

"Enlighten me. I am after all a scientist."

"I joined so that I can stop people from dying," Suzaku reasoned.

"That self-contradiction's going to get you killed someday, chap."

"Lloyd!" Cécile said, chastising the contractor at the same time.

Suzaku chuckled quietly at his superiors' interaction before he went to sortie. "Lancelot now launching."  
_ _ _

**Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

After mobilizing for combat, the Autobots divided themselves into two groups. The twins, along with Ironhide, Wheeljack, Trailbreaker and Ratchet went with Prowl as they searched for their quarry. Jazz, Nightbeat, and Mirage were assigned to another section of the vast green expanse scouting another suspected Decepticon position.

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, you two break off to join Jazz and Nightbeat to scout the enemy positions around the forest," Prowl instructed.

"What about you?" the red twin asked.

"We'll be fine."

When the twins separated Prowl's team moved towards the upper regions of the mountains, where thick layers of greenery stretched across the land by miles. What began as a brief period of fruitless searching became a tense confrontation, when Prowl frowned at the sight of a familiar Seeker. From what he observed, the Decepticon officer busied himself trying to clean off the mud that dirtied his chassis. In front of the Seeker were a small group of five to seven Sutherlands. All of them stood upright as Prowl observed one of them alter its appearance slightly, the cockpit changing into a strange mesh of bio-organism and technological circuitry.

"Starscream," he whispered.

The aerospace commander took notice of the Autobot expedition leader and shot a mischievous grin. "My, isn't this a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you mechs to actually show up here."

Never one for snappy comebacks, Prowl nonetheless gave his response with a sardonic tone. "I don't even need to guess as to why you're here."

"While I would personally savor the moment in turning you to slag, we have more pressing concerns. Skywarp, Thundercracker, if you would…"

"With pleasure," the black-purple Seeker said, firing his null rays at the direction of the Autobot troops. Thundercracker joined in the attack as blue winged Decepticon shot his shoulder rifles alongside Skywarp. Soon after, the facsimile-controlled Sutherlands aided the two Seekers and blasted their assault rifles where Prowl's forces stood. All of the Autobots took cover as both factions engaged in an intense firefight to the death.

Evading a blast from Skywarp's null ray, Prowl assumed a defensive position behind the trees and returned fire with several blasts from his photon rifle. The two flyers that guarded Starscream responded in kind by intensifying their attacks.

"I'm detecting traces of ore-13 from those weapon discharges!" Wheeljack said, as pieces of bark and wood splintered off the tree he hid behind.

The engineer's assessment became more definitive as the natural surroundings that protected the Autobots were slowly being chipped away by the brutal display of the Decepticons' combined firepower. Prowl suspected fact that the Sutherlands that joined the skirmish were suspected to be controlled by facsimiles didn't help either. It would take more than courage and firepower to defeat the likes of Starscream's clone forces.  
_ _ _

**Reserve Lines  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

While the fighting grew sporadic and in-between, Jeremiah would jump at the chance for action as soon as it presented itself.

"It's not the JLF! It's... the Black Knights!"

"Zero!" Jeremiah exclaimed while accelerating his Knightmare. "How dare for him to show up here! ZERO!"

"Lord Jeremiah! You can't just abandon your position!" Viletta shouted as she attempted to dissuade him from his impulsive act.

"A drastic situation requires drastic measures! If you want glory in life, then follow me!"

Jeremiah stopped near a line of trees where a group of black enemy Knightmares broke through.  
He leveled his mech's assault rifle in their direction and fired several volleys, taking down the Burais and finding the object of his revenge. He confirmed his findings through the visual confirmation with a Burai that looked like it had a red Oni mask that bore fangs in front of its factsphere sensor.

"Is Zero here? If he is then face me!" the Pureblood leader announced. "Come forward and fight Jeremiah Gottwald!"

"It's been a long time, Jeremiah. So, you're still in the army? As much as I'd like to stay and chat I'm afraid I have more pressing business to tend to, Orange boy."

"O... Orange!" the aqua-haired man recoiled at the insult, loathing at the mere mention of the name. "DIE!"  
_ _ _

Kallen savored the newfound power of her Knightmare against the Britannian Sutherlands. This proved to be the golden opportunity in which payback against the empire that destroyed her mother's life was long overdue. With a swipe of her Knightmare's gauntlet she knocked her opponent's assault rifle into the air. She managed to force her enemy into a melee confrontation as the man's Sutherland activated its stun tonfas to take on her machine.

"Lord Jeremiah!" one of the female Purebloods protested, to no avail.

"Stay out of this! This is my duel!"

"I've never seen a Knightmare like that one before!" Viletta exclaimed. "Could it be possible that the Elevens have…?"

The Pureblood leader founded the notion to be completely preposterous. "You think the Elevens are capable of producing such technology?"

"His obsession's driven him mad!" Kewell said to Viletta.

"This thing... is this monster what destroyed Carius' team?"

"That's right, Britannia! We can finally take you head-on! And our counterattack begins with the Guren Mark II!" Kallen said as she sprung her Knightmare forward.  
_ _ _

Oblivious to the danger of the red KMF, Jeremiah's passion for vengeance against Zero would prove to be his undoing. He eyed the enemy and noted the silver limb that extended from its right arm.

_What is that thing_?

The Pureblood leader moved his Knightmare in reverse to outmaneuver the unknown enemy weapon. He had never seen any KMF whose performance was fast as the one he was facing. It was fast, and surprisingly agile. As the machine brought forth the Jeremiah thought he managed to evade, when in fact that it turned out to be a mistake that couldn't be undone.

"What's happening?"

"Lord Jeremiah! Eject!" Viletta pleaded of her leader.

"I can't right now, Zero's right in front of me! He's standing right here!"

The cockpit glowed orange as the energies from the red Knightmare's gauntlet fried the Sutherland's circuitry and fried his instruments before alarms began blaring all around him.

"No, the auto-eject module! Don't you dare activate! I can still get Zero, I can still get Zero! GAHH!"

Jeremiah extended his arms outward, his hands wanting to clutch the masked vigilante by the neck. His body shook uncontrollably, as he felt blood trickling down from his nostrils due to the intense heat that filled his cockpit. The former margrave fainted before the capsule engaged and fired its thrusters. The pilot capsule launched itself from the Sutherland before it went critical and exploded.  
_ _ _

Proud of her victory, Kallen took the chance to bask in the carnage of her defeated opponent whom she dispatched with relative ease. The pile of debris left from Jeremiah's Sutherland made his cohorts back away just slightly, but not enough to the point where they were willing to fight the Black Knights that accompanied her. If they were going to go after Zero, they would have to get through her first.

"With this I can't lose!" she said. Like a ring prizefighter, the half-breed dared others to take her on. "Alright then, who's next?"

"I'll take you on, you filthy Eleven!" shouted one of the Pureblood Sutherland pilots. She recognized the voice belonging to the blond male Kewell. Judging from his apparent attitude, he was a snobbish arrogant Britannian like many in the imperial military. He would soon learn the price of and pay dearly like his colleague before him.

"Let's see what you've got, then!" Kallen yelled in a battle cry.  
_ _ _

While the Guren engaged in combat with the Purebloods, Lelouch eased himself into the seat of his Burai as he diverted his attention to new developments as he attempted to ascertain Cornelia's location without much success. A gloved hand combed through his hair as he received a transmission through his Knightmare's comm panel.

"Zero, we've just captured an enemy soldier from Cornelia's army," Ohgi said.

"Did he say anything?"

"Our people managed to seize control of his tactical radio. The imperial forces have troops searching for her."

"Searching?" Lelouch arched his eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean 'searching'?"

"There seems to be a loss of communications with her group. Word is that there are unknown forces in the area searching for her."

"What interest could these groups possibly have in Cornelia?"

"We're not sure. We're still trying to ascertain her location."

What Ohgi said brought Lelouch to a startling realization. _This is not good, if there are other __people after her, then we have to step up our efforts_.  
_ _ _

**Command Center  
JLF Headquarters, Narita Mountains**

In the central hub where General Katase commanded, officer and enlisted man alike scrambled for a damage control assessment and contact whatever forces the Japanese had left at their disposal. Of the original amount of troops the Front had at its disposal, only a small number of tank divisions and several infantry squads remained.

"General, I am picking up a message from Colonel Tohdoh!"

"What are you waiting for, put him through!" the commander instructed.

On the main view screen was the face of his most trusted subordinate.

"Tohdoh, you've come!"

"I apologize for our late arrival, general," the lieutenant colonel said. "Please send whatever forces you can spare to rendezvous at our location. We are moving into position to capture the viceroy."

"Can you beat the imperialists?"

"Yes, but only if we can keep the main force preoccupied," Tohdoh said.

General Katase nodded. "We'll send whatever we can spare. Be warned: the Britannians seems to be thrown into chaos. Exercise extreme caution."

"I'll take that under advisement, sir," Tohdoh said before his face disappeared from view and the visual display that showed the tactical map changed back into the topographical representation of the HQ's position in the Narita mountains.

_You better not die on me, friend. All our hopes rest on you now_.  
_ _ _

**Inner Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

The situation was not leaning in the imperium's favor.

Kewell was caught by surprise when the red Knightmare rapidly closed the distance between itself and his Sutherland. The enemy mecha latched its gauntlet onto his machine's factsphere and initiated the same attack that killed Jeremiah. He grew perplexed when he noticed that the temperature inside his cockpit turned hotter. He initiated a manual eject of his capsule in desperation, which ended up being thirty seconds too late.

"This isn't possible! I cannot be defeated by an Eleven! I am Britannian!" were his last words before the man faced his inevitable demise as the Sutherland exploded in a ball of flame.

While the Britannians were preoccupied, the Black Knights focused their efforts in searching for their target to no avail. They never realized that the second princess was already being hunted down by unknown forces that had a stake in the imperial colony.

Lelouch analyzed the placement of the Britannian army throughout the area. Only a fraction remained of the second princess' troops. Many of them were scattered and too far away to assist her, with the only real threat being the short time span in which fighters assigned to the air cavalry would arrive to protect her. Since the Black Knights possessed no anti-air capability, it made it much more important to find the princess before her troops retrieve her.

One question persisted in his mind repeatedly: where is Cornelia?  
_ _ _

**Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Jazz and Nightbeat navigated through the upper regions of the mountains several miles away from where the Japanese were operating. Thick trees obscured their line of sight as they scoured the region for their Decepticon foes. Even with Cosmos overhead providing satellite support and communications, their difficulties in capturing one for questioning wouldn't be any easier. From the corner of his visor, Nightbeat noticed a glint at a distance and saw the hole inside a tank barrel. His mouth grew agape as he dashed towards his compatriot.

"Jazz, Look out!" the inspector shouted, while diving his chassis away a second too late. The blast from Blitzwing's gun turret struck the ground between them and sent them flying. Nightbeat flew backwards due to the force of the explosion as his chassis clanged against the ground. He groaned in pain from the sheer power of the Decepticon's weaponry. Noticing that the explosion was stronger than what the triple-changer usually dishes out, he suspected that the air/ground commando has been given an injection of ore-13. Even with a small dosage, it was enough to lay waste to a regular Autobot tactical squad.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Blitzwing's sure packing a punch, though."

"I know," Nightbeat said amidst the assault. "Got anything in mind?"

"Yeah, I got a stasis charge that'll lock up his circuits and keep him down. Can you keep him busy?" Jazz asked.

"That I can do," the detective grinned with his photon pistol in hand.

"Come out and I will make your death quick!" the triple-changer threatened through his vocalizer.

"You'll have to find me first, crankshaft!" Nightbeat replied. He dealt with ore-13 powered Decepticons many stellar cycles ago. His insult sent the triple-changer in a fuel-crazed frenzy. Blitzwing shifted into tank mode and fired several shells within in 180-degree arc, cutting swathes through the trees where the two Autobots were hidden.

"You can't hide forever!"

From Blitzwing's position, the Cybertronian commando used a thermal imager to differentiate between Cybertronian machinery versus human-machines, the triple-changer managed to acquire a target lock on the hidden detective. Nightbeat continued to displace to another location, only to find that the Decepticon's last few shots were used to push the inspector to a spot where the triple-changer would fire his next round.

"I got you right where I want you," Blitzwing whispered to himself before he fired his tank barrel and scored a direct hit. The shot struck home right through Nightbeat's torso, leaving the detective open to attack from the triple-changer again. The pain surged through the Iaconian inspector's circuitry, smoke and fumes billowing outward from where the Autobot was struck.

"Time for you to go offline," the triple-changer said as he aimed his tank barrel in Nightbeat's direction, the detective locked squarely within his crosshairs. Before he could take another shot, he felt a high-powered photon blast hit against his chassis. Another shot struck him in his treads, damaging him only slightly, but not enough to impede him.

"Hold it right there, Decepticon punk!"

Smoke trailing behind him, Jazz switched gears and rode towards the Cybertronian disguised as a tank, the sound of his engine revving as he transformed out of vehicle mode and jumped on the triple-changer's gun turret to throw off his aim.

"Get off me, you little pest!"

"Why don't you do yourself a favor and just chill out?" Jazz said mockingly. His servos held onto the commando's turret. In response, Blitzwing transformed into robot mode and tried to shake  
the special ops lieutenant off his chassis.

"Mirage, now!"

Two high-powered photon blasts from Mirage's rifle struck Blitzwing in the chestplate, while another hit him right in the face, cracking his visor. Blitzwing's hands clutched the sides his helmet, trying to resist the pain that clanged through his processor like a hammer hitting the gong. Jazz putted the finishing touch by slamming a stasis charge onto Blitzwing's body. The triple-changer kneeled onto the ground, his internal circuitry locking up. The Autobots that dared to fight against him whisked away while he laid on the ground, helpless and unable to move.  
_ _ _

Jazz propped one of Nightbeat's arms over his shoulders as they navigated their way through the forest.

"You alright?" he asked the detective.

"Well, at least I'm functioning," the inspector muttered weakly.

"Hang tight, we're gonna get to Ratchet to try and patch you up."

Nightbeat responded with only a nod, the strength of Blitzwing's attacks crippled him.

From within the bushes, Mirage materialized into existence like a ghostly apparition.

"Thanks for the help back there," Jazz said to the sniper.

The blue-white Cybertronian lifted his targeting monocle up, his optics glowing in eerie yellow. He held his sniper rifle in his left hand, offering assistance to the injured inspector with his right.

"Don't mention it."

In his spark, Jazz knew that the situation has gone from bad to worse.  
_ _ _

**Inner Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Annoyed at the continued inoperability of her communications, Cornelia founded herself isolated from whatever support was available near her position. She had hopes that Darlton and Guilford would send men to look for her, provided that they were still alive after the landslide. While she had no fear of death, there was an odd feeling that she was not alone, and it made her slightly uneasy.

Cornelia's ammunition for her assault rifle was exhausted, due to the fact that the winged Knightmare she fought earlier was tough and heavily armored. All she had left was her jousting lance. It wouldn't do her any good except in close combat since she instinctively knew that there were other forces that searching for her. The closest thing that could be used as a ranged weapon were her slash harkens, but they could only by used to attack in a straight direction.

"I've found you at last."

"What th -?"

From out of nowhere a mechanical entity emerged out of the woods. It bore a predatory appearance as it prowled around the viceroy menacingly. Cornelia studied it for a moment before it spoke to her again. Orange eyes lit up like fiery orbs as the contact

"You didn't think you would elude us that easily, did you?"

_Don't tell me that this is another machine working alongside the ones that tried to kill me earlier_? Cornelia wondered. Her eyes widened as the mechanical lion's parts shifted. The head component shifted into a torso, with its arms and legs rearranged into different parts of its body. What was originally an inconceivably large mechanical lion transformed into an inconceivably massive Knightmare Frame.

"I've found you," the mysterious being grunted as it drew a massive blade. "Shall we begin?"

**End of Chapter 15**

Author's note:

Since I first started watching the Code Geass series I was curious as to why the Britannians never utilized jet fighters in their most recent campaigns or skirmishes. The most that viewers seen out of the Britannian armed forces when it comes to aircraft are the ships equipped with float systems and gunships. Since the Decepticons have some air-based warriors I thought I'd place them in at the behest of a certain reader. It made sense so I didn't see any reason not to oblige.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	20. Chapter 16 Narita War, Part 3: Nightmare

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Chaos ensues around the Narita Mountains as numerous forces collide with each other.  
**

****  
**Chapter 16: Narita War, Part 3: Nightmare**

**Inner** **Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Cornelia evaded the swing of the enemy's blade that nearly cut her Knightmare in half.

"I don't know who you are, but as long as I still draw breath, I'll fight to the very end!" she declared.

"Understand I bear no quarrel against you. However, your death is a necessity to advance our cause here."

The viceroy shot a confused look at her foe. "What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge that, Your Highness," the black-orange adversary respectfully replied.

Their weapons clashed against one another. The sounds of their battle clamored through the winds. Cornelia fired her slash harkens and spun her lance as the lion machine sidestepped the attack, anticipating her moves. Both continued to fight each other in a furious exchange of close combat as Cornelia sought to utilize the environment to her advantage and get to higher ground.

"So you think you can run from the likes of me."

"You think I'm running?" Cornelia said with gritted teeth. Her fighting prowess on overdrive, she launched her Knightmare into the air and aimed her jousting lance downward towards her foe like a hawk diving towards its prey. "Then allow me to demonstrate how a Britannian princess fights!"

Their clash continued onward, neither willing to give in to the other. Noticing a spot in the ravine which they fought, Cornelia pulled a spare chaos mine retrieved from one of her royal guards and threw it high on the rocky precipice where her enemy stood. The filaments exploded from the device and struck the edge of the cliff, bringing down a rock formation on the adversary. The mass of debris covered the mech's frame entirely. She moved her KMF closer to inspect the location of her fallen foe, assuming that it would stay down for the time being. She ended up being caught by surprise when the machine punched its way out of its enclosure and sliced her lance in half with its sword.

"Very brave of you, but ultimately futile," her opponent commented.

Weaponless, the viceroy founded herself at the mercy of her mysterious foe. It towered over her by at almost another meter, with the features that marked its predatory frame all the more intimidating. Its actions appeared entirely instinctual and animal-like. Cornelia thought that she was done for.

"I believe the time of your reign ends here, viceroy," the black-orange machine announced as it raised its sword above its head. Just as the mysterious mech prepared to cut through Cornelia's Gloucester, a blue beam lanced out in-between the two combatants, cutting a line through a section of the forest. The presence of the Lancelot turned out as an unexpected development when the smoke cleared, VARIS rifle in hand.

"Viceroy! I've come to rescue you!" Suzaku called via radio.

"ASEEC? Who authorized you?"

"The sub-viceroy sent me, Your Highness."

Cornelia wasn't sure whether to thank the Eleven for rescuing her. She glanced at her monitors and noticed the black-orange mecha about to strike the Lancelot from behind.

"Look out!" she yelled to him.

Suzaku launched his Knightmare upwards with his wrist-mounted slash harkens and landed back onto his sandboards, avoiding another stroke of the enemy's sword that aimed for his cockpit. Cornelia kept a careful eye on her battery meter, which remained at only a fraction of its original capacity. The princess attempted to provide support by launching her slash harkens while the Lancelot moved away from the enemy's claw and sword. Out of reflex, the black-orange mech caught the harkens' cables in its grip and tore it off.

The enemy grunted as it shook the torn anchor in hand. "Your weapons won't save you here."

The Honorary Britannian felt his body tense at the sight of the foe before him. It bore an imposing appearance, with a lion's face mounted on its torso and serrated claws at the end of its fingertips. Before the enemy could land another blow the Japanese pilot unsheathed one of the Lancelot's swords and parried the attack. His Knightmare was more nimble and faster than the enemy mech in front of him. But how did this opponent fare in actual combat? Did his KMF even stand a chance against this machine?

_This is the second time I've fought against these kinds of machines. Just what in the world are they?_ Suzaku thought to himself.  
_ _ _

Annoyed at the newcomer's interference, Razorclaw fought against the smaller mech with all his might. He fired his shoulder cannons to throw the human operator off-balance. Its speed and agility impressed him. He wondered if the operator would handle himself against a hunter with more than millions of stellar cycles of combat experience.

"I'm impressed you survived against me for this long, insect," Razorclaw complimented as he loosened his grip on his sword momentarily. "But I have a schedule to keep. Stand aside."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the operator of the white Knightmare replied, its own sword firmly in hand.

"Then you can die with your viceroy," the Predacon commander declared as he changed back into beast mode. The Cybertronian growled at the interloper, ready to move in for the kill while the battle escalated. Animal instincts drove his fighting prowess into overdrive.  
_ _ _

"Is that… a lion?" Suzaku stared in bewilderment.

Sensing a reaction due to the Lancelot pilot's lack of movement, the mechanical lion shot a deadly gaze at him. "Surprised? Don't be, I'm just getting started!"

The massive opponent proved itself to be fast and dexterous for a machine of its size. Survival remained the prime goal of this fight. Out of reflex, Suzaku flung one of his sandboards against the black-orange, which the robot crushed within the confines of its jaws.

"I have to admit, you are indeed a clever one," the mechanical lion snarled as it turned to face the white KMF again.

"Stand back, Warrant Officer!" a voice relayed, interrupting the battle between the young Japanese operator and his nemesis. He recognized the voice of General Andreas Darlton, who brought along a contingent of mechs to support him. The senior officer's Knightmare shouldered one armor-piercing cannon above its right pauldron. Its muzzle pointed in the direction, Darlton fired several shots alongside a team of Gloucesters as they attempted to destroy the enemy target. Explosions and smoke followed, leaving the Britannians the impression that they eliminated the unknown hostile without too much hassle.

"You are in the way!" the foreign mech boomed angrily as it picked up Darlton's Knightmare and threw it downhill onto an adjacent slope near the battle area. The imperial officer's mecha crashed from side to side as it spiraled into the lower forestlands.

"General!" Suzaku cried out.

"As for you, you are starting to become a nuisance," the mechanical lion said as its eyes flared with a burning fury. In quick succession the lion transformed back into its robot form and drew its sword, swinging it downward to slice the Lancelot. Suzaku staved off the attack with both of his MVSs. The impact of the enemy's stroke slamming its weight into the Knightmare's blades created fractures in the ground, sending a shower of rocks from below them. The Honorary Britannian founded himself in a desperate struggle for his very survival.  
_ _ _

Down below Darlton laid unconscious after being thrown several hundred meters below. The aged veteran opened his eyes drearily and checked his head. He felt lucky to be alive, when he suddenly recalled that the mysterious killer was still fighting his forces and ASEEC's star pilot. He watched helplessly as he forced himself to recover.

"What is it going to take to stop that thing?" Darlton gritted. The imperial army never encountered an enemy as sturdy as the lion machine. Seeing the amount of punishment that it endured from all the ammunition that struck its armor was daunting. He shook his head slightly to recover from the trip down the adjacent hill. His camera showed an incoming Gloucester as it drove towards his position.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"I can still move. What's the situation up there?"

"Bad. The Eleven's holding the enemy off for as long as he can, sir," one of the pilots replied. It didn't take much for Darlton to motivate them with a little intimidation.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, soldier," he said gritting his teeth. "Well what are you all waiting for, an invitation? Get your asses up there!"

"Yes, sir!" the Britannian operators said in unison. As the Britannians that assembled near the general's location scramble on the upper battlefield, a small team of Sutherlands were coming in at high speed. One that was ahead of its group stopped right behind to warn him.

"General, behind - GAH!" one of his accompanying soldiers called before being slain by a another within Darlton's contingent. As the Britannian officer turned, his face twisted into a look of surprise as he founded himself facing the barrel of an assault rifle from a friendly KMF. He checked his munitions gauge and founded that he was unarmed.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Feed..." the pilot of the turncoat Gloucester intoned. Its voice sounded warped and inhuman.

"You traitor!"

Before he could be finished off, a lone caped Gloucester accompanied by several Sutherlands joined the fray. Darlton recognized the KMF belonging to that of Cornelia's knight.

"Drop your weapon, soldier!" Guilford commanded. The defecting pilot within the did not comply, and ended up being blown to bits by an anti-armor cannon from a Gloucester that followed the second princess' servant.

"Guilford, it's good to see you show up!" Darlton cheered.

"I got in contact with Princess Euphemia's HQ. We have air support on the way. Where's the viceroy?"

"The Lancelot's protecting her for the time being. That other Knightmare he's fighting seems to be gaining the upper hand. We'll need to get there if we're going to make it out of this alive together."  
_ _ _

"Fools, none of you can stand against my strength!" Razorclaw said as he cleaved through another Sutherland with his servos. Two more Gloucesters fired their assault rifles, which only scratched the hunter warrior's armor plating by a fraction. He pounced at them and drove his claws into their chassis, not showing an ounce of mercy.

"Stand back!" called a gruff Britannian veteran as he leveled his assault rifle against the Predacon. All it accomplished was raising his fury and lust for battle to greater heights. Additional Sutherlands and Gloucesters that remained from Cornelia's army joined the fray, using their combined firepower to try to bring down the monster. Razorclaw roared angrily, the volume of his rage shaking the battleground.

Noticing his ferocity, the imperialist troops that were near him backed themselves away to a ranged distance. They hoped to use their weapons No human was safe from his wrath, as Razorclaw drove his sword into the ejection block of a Gloucester, killing the human instantly.

"Captain Finch!"

The Britannians' persistence in stopping the Predacon from completing his mission slowly irritated him.

"No matter how many of your number that you send, I will see to it that I slay all of you," he promised. While the intimidating Cybertronian sensed fear in his opponents, he also knew that they were not willing to give up any time soon.

"Wait, let me handle this one!" the white Knightmare's said.

One of the Gloucesters from Darlton's contingent scoffed at their ally's intervention.

"Stay out of this! This is our fight, Eleven! It's our princess' life is on the line here!"

_How ironic, you squabble amongst yourselves even in the face of death_, the Predacon leader thought with delight.

[Commander...] Tantrum groaned weakly.

[Where are you?] Razorclaw said, recognizing the voice of his subordinate.

[Recovering.]

[Get to my position immediately.]

[Acknowledged.]

_And now things are about to get interesting_...  
_ _ _

**Point Three  
Forestlands, Narita Mountains**

The Black Knights encountered fierce resistance from the remaining troops of the Pureblood faction led by Viletta Nu. This encounter was not what Lelouch had in mind. He already had enough on his plate dealing with their resistance. If his forces exhausted their ammunition and supplies too soon, they would stand no chance against Cornelia's royal guard, which he knew with full certainty were next after they were defeated. The Guren was capable of overwhelming any of the smaller Knightmare Frames. He kept track of Kallen's position and decided on his next move.

"Kallen, move straight about 100 meters and scout ahead of our position."

"Acknowledged, moving."

A lone blue dots on his tactical map marked the Guren's position. Its signal blinked as it moved in a southeasterly heading towards the suspected location of the viceroy. Ten minutes onward the Guren stopped as it was instructed. After checking the map again Lelouch figured she was hiding and observing at the same time.

"I'm in position. I just spotted the white Knightmare we saw back in Shinjuku, along with other Knightmare Frames. They're fighting against another Frame."

"Can you give me any more details?"

"I know this sounds strange, but it looks like a lion."

There was a silence, which worried Lelouch. He felt uneasy at the momentary lapse in communication.

"Kallen? Kallen, are you there? What do you see now?"

Kallen's eyes widened at the sheer size of the black-orange KMF. "It just transformed, like the black Knightmare we encountered back at the casino!"

He stroked his chin in thought before his mind snapped back to reality.

"Zero, what are your instructions?"

"Ignore it and the white Knightmare. Cornelia's capture takes precedence in this mission."

"Right, moving in now!"  
_ _ _

Within her operating area, Kallen noticed an enemy Sutherland from the corner of her eye. She dodged a bullet that was meant to hit her cockpit, using her Knightmare's speed to her advantage. Powering up her gauntlet, she jumped upwards into the air and landed in front of her attacker, knocking its rifle out of its hand with her fork knife and thrusting her Wave Surger arm forward onto the hapless machine and warping it with the radiation from her weapon before it exploded.

As the Sutherland burned in flame and smoke, an unknown materialized from the trees in front of her. It had red plating with some kind of fuel tanks on the. She had a feeling that it was another one of the lion machine's comrades. Her face turned into one of confusion when she observed Britannian forces fighting each other for some inexplicable reason. It would prove to be her window that would allow her to reach the second princess unopposed.

"What the -?"

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Despite the opponent's size, Kallen maintained her composure in the face of the enemy.

"Don't think you can just skate your way through here," snorted the foreign creature.

"Obviously, you're not one of the Britannians. Just what exactly are you?"

"Britannian? Far from it."

Out of the forest emerged a three-mech team of Sutherlands armed with assault rifles. Kallen had her own problems facing off against the might of the Britannians' mysterious killers. The sight of the imperialists openly engaging against their own army and that of the unknown adversaries drew mixed feelings of horror and surprise. Her mind snapped back into reality as she dispatched the Sutherlands and went straight for the viceroy's position. She destroyed the enemy mechs with her Wave Surger weapon before she leapt over the bull creature.

"I don't have time for you!" she exclaimed.  
_ _ _

Above the sky in the battle area, Divebomb patrolled at a low altitude to avoid being spotted by enemy aircraft.

"Hmmm, looks like we have unexpected company," Divebomb observed. His optics zeroed in on the group of Burais with antennae that protruded to the sides at an odd angle. The only weapons that they had were swords and chest-mounted cannons.

[Headstrong, Rampage, Divebomb up here. You've got company heading your way. Five Burais.]

[Confirmed. Looks like we'll have some victims for ourselves,] Headstrong said.

While there were five foes for the Predacons on the ground to face, Headstrong's assessment was far from the truth. The Four Holy Swords would give them more of a fight than they bargained for.  
_ _ _

"Sir, unknown contacts spotted," Urabe said, the aged captain spotting a mechanical hawk 12 o'clock high. Two more of the robot creatures, one of them a mechanical tiger. The other appeared to be a machine that imitated a rhino. Both of them set their sights on the five JLF soldiers as they closed the distance.

"They look like animals," Chiba observed of the potential hostiles. "Are they Britannians?"

"If they are, those Frames are unlike anything I've ever seen so far," Asahina said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Incoming!" Senba warned of the group, avoiding a barrage of cluster bombs that landed in the middle of their formation.

"Scatter!" Tohdoh ordered. All five of the Holy Swords broke off from each other and regrouped, thankful that the bombs didn't hit them.

"That was a little too close."

"No matter," Tohdoh said. "We'll take the two that are on land. Watch out for the one in the air."

Tohdoh maneuvered his Burai and drew back his sword as he plunged it in the direction of the tiger machine.

"Slash and encircle!"

The five Burais led by the lieutenant colonel roved around their land-based enemies like a wolf pack, directing their swords against the seemingly powerful might of their unknown enemies.  
_ _ _

Headstrong and Rampage shifted into robot forms with Divebomb providing air cover. The battle between them and the Four Holy Swords had been going for a good twenty-five minutes. Most of the regulars they fought earlier offered little challenge. These humans were far from the ordinary soldiers which they encountered so far. This was the kind of prey which they have sought after more than ten years of dormancy. The two parties engaged in a fierce melée competition, their blades intersecting one another. Both of the hunter warriors were interrupted by the call of Razorclaw as he beckoned to them.

[All Predacons: head over to my position immediately. I repeat, head to my position immediately.]

[What about the Japanese?] Rampage inquired.

[Ignore them for now. It would seem we have underestimated the imperialists' resistance against us.]

Headstrong scoffed at the order. All of the Predacons present on the scene considered their enemies momentarily before they disengaged to assist their leader. Divebomb followed suit as he flapped his wings and followed his comrades from the rear.  
_ _ _

Taking a moment to breathe, Chiba loosened the grip on her controls slightly. Her face became perplexed at what the enemy just did. "That was... odd."

"Was the enemy retreating?" Senba asked.

Scratching his head, Urabe gave his own input. "I don't think so. They had an advantage over us."

"What should we do now, colonel?" Asahina inquired, who was just as confused as the others that were present. There was no explanation as to why their three foes uprooted and left the battle unfinished.

"We'll rescue the general, find the rest of our forces and withdraw," Tohdoh said. This war was far beyond the realm of whatever the Japanese were capable of at this point. But they would carry on to fight another time.  
_ _ _

**Inner Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Suzaku gave his all fighting against Cornelia's assassin. Obviously the operator inside black-orange machine was skilled. He spotted another Knightmare from the corner of his eye going after the viceroy. The lion machine beat it to the princess first, obstructing the path of the newcomer from going after her.

"This is my prey!" it declared, blocked some sort of energy attack from the red Knightmare's silver gauntlet with its sword before it was destroyed. The creature released its blade and smashed a fist into its chest, cracking the front of the torso.

Shocked at the chaos before him, Suzaku looked to find that sakuradite emanated from its body and gave off a bright glow. He suspected that the mineral within the opponent's body gave some kind of steroidal effect that boosted its strength tenfold. Whoever created the machine managed to somehow draw the resource and increase its power within the affected unit. As much as he didn't agree with the Black Knights interfering with the battle.

"You may be smaller and faster than I am, but it will be long before you even beat the likes of me!"

In the midst of the battle, four new Knightmares arrived on the scene; all of them animals. A rhino, a bull, a tiger, and a hawk, all of them assembled around the mechnical lion like a pack of hunters. He watched as they communicated with one another.

"We're sorry for our late arrival, commander," one of them said.

"No matter. Fan out and search for the viceroy," the lion ordered.

"You have to get through me first!" Suzaku challenged bravely.

Not willing to give up, the Honorary Britannian held both of his swords in hand as he fought to the death.  
_ _ _

Fighting their way through vegetation and the oppressive terrain of the forest, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were drawn to a nearby battle. Their optics spotted a red, exotic-looking Knightmare sporting a fork knife and a silver claw-like appendage on its right arm. The yellow twin hated the foliage that obstructed their mission of finding Jazz. Both of the siblings' prospect changed when they stumbled onto a battle between different individuals.

"Hm, interesting," Sunstreaker grunted.

Sideswipe stood behind, arching an optic. "What is it?"

"A white Knightmare fighting against one of the Predacons."

"The Preds? That same group that Jazz and Tracks fought one time back on Cybertron?"

"Yeah."

"Sweet! Let's go give them a dent or two."

After listening to his brother, Sunstreaker shot a smirk that belied his arrogance. "I agree. Let's go."  
_ _ _

Razorclaw took the white Knightmare and threw it onto the red one, knocking its fork knife out of its hand. Both KMFs crashed into the tree lines ahead of him

"I tire of this game. While you are both worthy foes, I have a schedule to keep."

"Hold it right there!" a roboticized voice shouted to Razorclaw. He turned to find two Cybertronians that assumed defensive stances, ready to take him on. One was yellow, the other red. He looked at their torsos and recognized the facial decals of the Decepticons' longtime adversaries.

"Autobots. At last, what an interesting turn of events."

"So you're the Preds. I've heard a lot about you mechs," a yellow bot said. The arrays on both sides of his head brought back a familiar memory to the intergalactic hunter. Razorclaw glanced at him and his compatriot and recognized the two machines as the Autobot twins, renowned for their fighting prowess and rumored to be the best that the enemy has to offer in terms of close-quarters combat experts.

"Really now? Perhaps you'd like a demonstration of what we're actually capable of."

"You know, I've been looking for a fight. And you just made my solar cycle," Sunstreaker grinned as he slammed both of his yellow-plated fists with enthusiasm. There was a psychotic glare in his optics as the urge for battle grew stronger. "Just wait 'til I wipe that arrogant smirk off your faceplate!"

"Hmph," Razorclaw grunted as he released the viceroy's KMF from his grasp. "Come then, all I've been fighting is weak prey."

More than willing to oblige, Sunstreaker launched himself forward at the Predacon commander.  
The yellow twin enjoyed the fact that he was fighting an opponent in which he didn't have to hold back. Razorclaw sheathed his sword and bared his claws at the tips of his fingers as he slashed against the yellow twin's chest plate.

Several Sutherlands emerged from the forests with weapons blazing. The shells scratched Sideswipe's armor, which only made him angry. "Surrender in the name of the Decepticons or face immediate termination," the pilot said in a zombie-like tone.

"Fat chance that's gonna happen!" the red twin bellowed sharply as he charged against the Decepticon-controlled Sutherlands with crazed fervor.

At the sound of Sunstreaker yelling audibly in pain, Sideswipe turned around to find his brother impaled as one of his vitals was hit by the Predacon commander's servos, which dug deeper iinto the yellow twin's wiring. Using only a fraction of his strength, Razorclaw tossed Sunstreaker onto the ground like a rag doll. The sight of his brother downed by the ruthless leader of the Decepticon sub-group struck a nerve in the red twin.

"Streaker!"

"As always, you Autobots are far too frail."

"Alright then, how's this for size?" Sideswipe boomed as he fired up his jet pack towards the vicious opponent. In a rush of anger he powered both of his pile drivers and connected them to Razorclaw's body. There was no room for compromise.

Sideswipe followed through with his right fist at the Predacon commander's faceplate. The black-orange Cybertronian just stood there and shot a condescending look at the red twin. He took a surprising amount of punishment, considering the considerable amount of strength the Autobot soldier possessed.

"Is that all you've got?"

Sideswipe's optics widened as he felt something sharp driven into his chassis. The black-orange Cybertronian plunged his blade deeper into the red mech's midsection. Cooling fans whined in response as the pain surged its way through the Autobot's circuits. Energon seeped at the corner of his mouth and down to his chin. The energy of the sharpened tips of the black-orange mech surged through his circuits as it exploded. The force of the blast sent Sideswipe onto the grass, his optics blacked out.

Sensing a shift in the winds, Razorclaw turned to find a cloaked figure that gave an unusual battle aura. The Predacon commander's yellow visor brightened as he gave a curious glance at the white mech, whose armor had a strange configuration. After studying the interloper momentarily, he had this odd feeling that lingered in his processor which told him that he was a practitioner of the ancient Cybertronian arts.

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

Razorclaw stood with his sword clutched in hand, studying the mysterious mech before him. After the hunter warrior studied him for a moment, he slowly recognized one of the mechs that dared to take on the might of the Predacons. A former Decepticon who was once held in high regards and whose name reached as far as Megatron's inner circle. "Deadlock."

"So you do remember me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Is there really a need to ask?"

A moment of silence filled the air, branches bristling as the winds grew stronger. "No, I suppose not... _traitor_."

In a blinding flash, Razorclaw attacked first. There was no further exchange between the two warriors, just an intersection of their blades as they clashed with fury. Strikes were parried as both attempted to outmaneuver each other through guile and deception. The tension of the fighting did nothing to deter the white cyber-ninja from landing a few blows into Razorclaw's vital spots. He was the first mech that actually managed to hurt him and land more than several hits.

"You should have been offline a long time ago, Deadlock."

"The name's Drift, now," the white mech replied calmly, who held both of his short swords firm and steady against the Predacon commander's formidable strength.

Razowclaw executed a follow-through to throw the smaller mech off-balance and finish him on the spot. Drift, as the mech called himself, appeared to be adept in the Cybertronian arts. The white warrior deflected one of the hunter's blows meant to hit a weak spot.  
_ _ _

"Oh no…" Ratchet saw Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, laying lifelessly onto the ground. Coming to the aid of the twins, he knelt beside them and inspected the bodies of the two brothers. After conducting intensive scans, the CMO spotted exposed wiring from the chassis of the both of the twins. The Predacons did a number of them.

Amidst the chaos of the fighting, the Prowl walked towards Ratchet with grave attentiveness. "Ratchet, what are Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's condition?"

"Bad. I'm gonna have to do open spark surgery on them ASAP. But I can't do it out here."

The situation worsened as soon as Jazz called in to send his sitrep. [Prowl, Nightbeat's in bad shape. His energon levels are falling. We're in way over our heads.]

[Damn it. We have no choice, we'll have to withdraw,] the deputy commander said. [Gather your team and rendezvous to the following coordinates. We'll be meeting you there.]

[Mirage is on his way to give you backup.]

[Acknowledged.]

Prowl nodded and tapped into his comm line via Cosmos' communications array as he relayed his instructions: [Autobots, listen up! We can't win against the Decepticons in their current state. Initiate a tactical withdrawal now. Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, hold them off while we pull out! Mirage, maintain cover fire! Everyone else, fall back!]

"You got it," the engineer called. Trailbreaker erected a forcefield around the besieged Autobot troops in an effort to hold back the unrelenting assault of the ore-13 powered Decepticons and their Predacon cohorts.

From afar Drift flared up his jump jets and swung his right leg into Razorclaw's midsection. The Predacon commander's head snapped back. The white Cybertronian managed to surprise his opponent with speed and power from his relatively smaller body. While the two enemies engaged in mortal combat, Prowl issued his command to get the sword fighter to withdraw.

"Drift, get back over here now!"

"As much as I'd like to I am currently preoccupied," the blademaster grunted, blocking a punch from the Predacon leader. "I will hold off the Predacons and cover your retreat."

"That's an order!"

Though Drift respected Prowl as the officer on the scene, he felt this wasn't the time for protocol.

"I will cover your retreat. Go!"

Prowl groaned and kept firing at the enemy Sutherlands hiding within the trees. The facsimile-controlled Knightmares fought with zealous fanaticism.

"We're being overwhelmed. It'd be best it we go now!"

[Prowl, this is Mirage, I am near your position.]

[Open fire! We need to put pressure on the Decepticons until we can clear out.]

[Affirmative.]

Several booms came from Mirange's photon sniper. Fifty meters ahead of Prowl's position, Ironhide gave the Wheeljack and Trailbreaker support fire. Eventually, the red Autobot was struck by an energy blast from one of the Predacons.

"Ironhide!" Prowl said as he rushed to aid the downed security chief.

"I'm okay, I can still fight," Ironhide said, never the kind of bot to give up under fire.

"Never mind that now," the deputy commander said, holding on to the security chief. "Trailbreaker, Wheeljack, we got everyone. Disengage and retreat!"  
_ _ _

Acknowledging the order, the defensive specialist tapped onto his colleague's shoulder as the firefight worsened.

"Wheeljack, come on. We need to get out of here," Trailbreaker said, his forcefield still in place.

The engineer shook his head. "Negative. I'm going to help Drift."

"You're nuts! The 'Cons have ore-13 running in their circuits, and you're trying to pull another one of your stunts against not one but five Predacons! You can't possibly fight against them alone!" the taller Autobot protested to his friend.

"If Drift's fighting them, so will I. And I'm going to help even the odds. You don't want to be nearby when I do this."

"For Primus' sake!"

"Trust me on this," the engineer said with confidence.  
_ _ _

Down, Blitzwing remained still after being temporarily disabled by a photon sniper shot and the stasis charge that Jazz latched onto his body. He had no control over his bodily functions, since the device locked his to prevent him from moving.

A small squad of four Decepticon-friendly Sutherlands approached the triple-changer and shot the charge off his body. When his processor rebooted his systems, he came to and brought himself back onto his feet.

"We've been sent by Starscream to recover you."

"Where are the Autobots?"

"They're regrouping with the rest of their allies," the human clone replied.

Blitzwing switched into his fighter mode and launched into the skies, arming his air-to-ground and air-to-air payloads to lay waste to anyone that dared to oppose him. Memory of the Autobot special operations officer that snuck up on him surfaced. All he thought of now was revenge.  
_ _ _

The F-23s commanded by Major Stanfield maintained formation as they flew to the location where the fighting between the Predacons and the Britannians were taking place.

"Strike team to Raven flight, we've founded Iron Keep! We need air support now!" Gilford called out.

"Strike lead, this is Raven One. Good copy," Stanfield said. "You're heard the man, squadron. Let's go, go, go!

"Whoa! Raven One, you got a bogey coming in hot!"

Suddenly a sleek fighter jet flew past their formation, which forced the group of imperialist aircraft to break formation.

"Where in the hell did he come from?" Stanfield shouted aloud, eyes wide open.

"Down below from the forest!"

Stanfield issued his order: "This is it. Weapons free, Ravens!"

They loosed a barrage of missiles in rapid succession as the smoke trailed from behind in pursuit of the enemy aircraft. Two more enemy contacts arrived from the cloud banks above. The major spotted one ahead of his HUD: a black-purple fighter with angular features that he didn't recognize.

"There's only three of them!" a pilot yelled out loud.

"Roger that. Ravens Six and Three, take out that aircraft!" the squadron leader ordered.

"I can't get this one off my tail!" one of his wingman yelled in a panicked state.

"Hang on, I got your back!" called another aviator.

Stanfield focused on the contact he pursued. The reticule locked onto the enemy plane by its twin engines and beeped as soon as it was acquired. "Splash on –- huh?"

To his surprise, the purple-tan jet flew out of the smoke where he landed missile hits and saw it fire back with a missile barrage of its own. Stanfield released chaff from his aircraft, feeling the impact of the explosion from the warheads that nearly killed him.

The squadron of Britannian fighters led by broke into four-plane elements and attempted to outmaneuver their strange adversaries. His element consisting of four fighters including his own formed a diamond formation as they weaved out of harm's way. Stanfield peered at the cloud banks below before he heard a missile collision alarm. One of the enemy fighters that the Britannian squadron engaged managed to launch one of its air-to-air missiles towards the squadron leader's plane before it blew into a fiery ball of flame.  
_ _ _

"As the humans say, it's just like shooting fish in a barrel!" Skywarp chirped as he fired a barrage of missiles on Stanfield's

"You don't say," Thundercracker said nonchalantly. He locked on another enemy fighter and fired his null rays, decimating the aircraft into dozens of pieces.

With Blitzwing's assistance the Seekers maintained control of the skies. While the Britannians had a greater number of airborne assets than Starscream had readily availabe, they remained ignorant of the fact that the Decepticons dominated the for many stellar cycles. It would take more than a mere squadron of human fighters to prevent the infiltration unit led by the aerospace commander from achieving their objective.

"Move aside, weakling!" the triple-changer roared, transforming into tank mode mid-flight as he slammed into a Black Knight Burai fighting against a loyalist Sutherland. It didn't take long before the triple-changer dispatched the Britannian-controlled machine with ruthless efficiency.

"Where is that miserable Autobot?" Blitzwing growled. Rage overrode his logic circuits, replaced by a need to smash the processor of his enemy and melt him into slag.  
_ _ _

Cornelia watched helplessly as the lion machine battled against another mysterious foe. She looked around to find that the Lancelot was down, with a red Knightmare laying slumped against a tree. Two more mechs that she spotted out in the distance laid on the ground immobile. Their bodies leaked what she believed to be was sakuradite, or something like it.

Guilford arrived on the scene alongside Darlton and a contingent of the royal guard. War exploded all around them as they lifted her Knightmare onto its feet. All three of the commanders consulted with each other on the situation as it developed further.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" her knight asked.

"I'm fine, but my battery's running low. What's the situation on the rest of our forces?"

"Bad. We need to get out of this area. It's not safe here."

"Very well then, withdraw at once! I repeat: all imperial forces take formation and fall back towards the reserve lines!"  
_ _ _

Down below Starscream noticed that the viceroy was being whisked away by her royal guard, and no other assets were nearby in order to capture her, except the air troops and the Predacons on the ground. A small team of subverted Sutherlands attempted to pursue Cornelia in order to kill her. The fact that they managed to get so far away drew the ire of the aerospace commander.

"DO _NOT_ ALLOW THEM TO ESCAPE!" he boomed angrily, noticing the Autobots as they gradually slinked their way out of the fighting. The Decepticon aerospace commander engaged his foot thrusters as he armed his spare payload of heat-seeking missiles that wasn't obstructed by the mudslide earlier. His scanners locked on a runaway Gloucester and fired the two warheads onto the KMF and turned it into a smoking pile of debris.

He had Cornelia in his grasp. So close to achieving his goal, he ordered the Britannian traitor squad to pursue them. His ego took over his sense of reason as the clones obeyed him and pursued her. The facsimiles had the misfortune of facing heated resistance from both the Black Knights and the imperial loyalists, despite the fact that they were also fighting amongst themselves.  
_ _ _

After the Autobot troops withdrew from the fight, the battle between Drift and Razorclaw paused momentarily.

"I'm afraid this has to end here," Drift said.

"This fight isn't over between us, Deadlock," Razorclaw swore. Being the bot that he was, Drift instinctively knew that he would be pursued relentlessly by the Predacons. Such was their way.

"When the time comes... I'll crush you."

"Not by a million stellar cycles," the cyber-ninja replied with a half-smile.

"Get him!" Razorclaw roared out into the air.

"Hey! Over here!" a lone Autobot called to him. The mech bore green and red race patterns on his torso, but didn't seem intimidating enough to be much of a threat. All of the Predacons focused their attention on him. They shot a cursory glance at their small foe before he pulled out a remote control.

"I got a little surprise for you!" Wheeljack declared. He pressed the button on the remote, which they heard the whir of several minuscule devices. The limpet mines at the fall back point popped from the dirt below them and scurried towards the ground-based Predacons like insects. They latched onto them and dug into their bodies. Electricity arced from their chassis before they reverted into their beast modes.

"What are you doing?" Starscream said as hovered in the air.

"Your buddies can't help you now. I short-circuited their logical subroutines. All you got are a bunch of savage animals in their place. Let's see what it feels like to get a taste of your own medicine!"

Blitzwing founded himself facing four of the Predacons, who no longer had any semblance of their normal selves. It was the inner beasts within which he was facing now. Four animals against one triple-changer. His energon meter was running low, knowing that the battle had went on for too long. He founded himself within killing distance of Tantrum, Razorclaw, Headstrong, and Rampage. There was no open route of escape.

"Oh slag," the triple-changer cursed before he ended an unwitting victim to tooth and claw.  
_ _ _

"Kallen, are you alright?" Ohgi asked with concern. Kallen opened her eyes slowly, remembering the mechanical lion she fought earlier. The Guren and the white KMF were swiftly defeated despite the advanced capabilities that both Frames possessed.

"Yeah. I managed to damage part of the enemy's armor, but that Knightmare wrecked my unit's arm."

Noticing the commotion between the two feuding factions, Lelouch ordered the Black Knight group to withdraw. This was clearly a battle beyond their comprehension.

"Black Knights, move to your escape routes! This fight has become a war of attrition. Retreat!"

Lelouch, confused at the melee back on the mountains, wondered about the two unknown factions feuding over the mountainside. The Guren's forearm was damaged during the fight against the mechanical lion, the half-breed's mech dispatched in the same manner as the white Knightmare that the resistance group encountered back in Shinjuku. Not that it mattered, while the Black Knights failed in capturing Cornelia, they dealt a crippling blow to the imperial army.

While his Burai was battered during the engagement with the enemy hostiles, it remained functional enough to allow him to move and retreat alongside his troops. The Britannian ex-prince leaned back in his chair as he plotted his next strategy. He would capture Cornelia and find the truth which he has sought all his life. All he needed was another opportunity.  
_ _ _

From a nearby hill, C.C. watched the Black Knight forces led by Lelouch move through the foliage.  
She had been observing the progress of his battle against the empire and the fight against the other unknown hostiles operating in the Britannian colony. Her intuition told her that there was something odd about those machines, that they weren't human. All she could do now was wait, since Lelouch was safe from harm for the time being.

She knew there would be a chance to uncover the truth another day. As her hair billowed with the winds, the immortal disappeared into the trees, navigating her way back whence she came. Her trip to the Tokyo Settlement would be a lonely one, not that she really cared to begin with.  
_ _ _

**Lower Forestlands  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Starscream landed on his foot thrusters and strode towards the Decepticons that gathered in an isolated section of the forest. He spotted several of the Sutherlands under their control as the Britannian facsimiles joined their congregation. They had to wait a while before they utilized the mobility clamps to lock the Predacons in stasis lock. And Blitzwing was in pieces, literally speaking, after being torn to shreds by friendly forces.

"The viceroy and the Autobots have escaped."

"Curse my luck... What about the Predacons?"

"Still recovering from their malfunction," Skywarp said.

"This is one of the worst solar cycles that I have ever endured," Starscream muttered to himself begrudgingly. The Autobots and the Britannians escaped their grasp again. "So the Black Knights have managed to interfere in our operation. No matter. Once we're done with the imperialists and our enemies from the other side, they're next."

"What should we do with them?" Skywarp asked.

"Load them onto the transports for evacuation. We will kill the viceroy another day," the aerospace commander ordered to the group.  
_ _ _

**Outskirts  
Highway 18, Narita**

Agent Delacruz slammed his knuckles into the visor of the Britannian soldier as it cracked from the impact. He brushed his hands together as the man slumped onto the ground before Solares dragged him and tied him with nylon rope. The NSA operatives stole a scout vehicle belonging to another imperialist under Cornelia's command. Noticing that the two Knightmare transports were lightly guarded, the Americans saw an opportunity to commandeer them in order to escape, since the transports which the Autobot/human expedition brought with them to the city were sunk under the mudslide.

"These are the rendezvous coordinates that Prowl gave us," Spike said checking his OPSAT. Out in the distance he saw the Autobots rode down the slopes, easing their descent onto the streets.

"What the hell happened to you?" Spike asked the Cybertronian officer.

"We've encountered the Decepticons on the mountains," Prowl said. "And we barely made it out of there online."  
"Well, the important thing is that you pulled thr-" the SEAL commander said before he noticed  
that the Lambo twins were being carried by Ratchet and Trailbreaker.

Nightbeat steadied himself while clutching his midsection after the fight with Blitzwing. Energon trailed from his lips down to his chin, his visor cracked.

"We're going to need to do some extensive repairs," Ratchet said as he assisted in placing Sunstreaker and Sideswipe inside one of the transports. Ironhide and Nightbeat were loaded next into another of the military vehicles before the doors sealed shut.

Not too far away Drift slid down onto the highway to join the rest of the Autobots. Wheeljack followed suit in vehicle mode and transformed. The engineer was covered in dirt and grime from the chaos back at the mountain. While the white Lancia managed to escape slightly damaged, his wounds weren't as severe as the four Autobots inside the KMF transports.

Jazz and Prowl exchanged looks with each other, and glanced back at the transports that contained their wounded comrades. Both of the Cybertronian officers hated to admit it, but they lost this fight. The Decepticons gave their enemies a demonstration of just how far they were willing to go in their conquest of Area 11's resources.

**End of Chapter 16**

****

**  
**Author's Note:

And so ends the battle of Narita. Hope you all liked the way it turned out. Had a little air duel for novelty's sake, since there was never really a duel between jet fighters.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	21. Interlude: Prowl

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**In the aftermath of the Battle of Narita, Prowl gives his assessment on the increasingly volatile situation in Area 11 through his latest pulsewave message to Optimus Prime.**

* * *

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Interlude

I apologize for the lack of more detailed information at this time due to our need to recover after the battle with the Decepticons and other indigenous forces, but I will present to you now the intelligence that we've collected so far on our current situation. The Americans have uncovered a secret project by the name of Code-R, a reference to some kind of bio-weapons program that the Britannians have been developing for some time now. What involvement the Decepticons have in this matter remains unknown. However, we have ascertained that the facsimile Marcus Reinfield aka 'Weaver' has been at the forefront of this research project. It's a possibility that the Decepticons have been using the test subjects to further enhance their control of the imperialist forces through the subjects' mutagenic abilities.

Since Starscream and the Decepticons revealed themselves at Narita it is definitive at this point that they are now directly involved, possibly at phase three or phase four. My analysis indicates that at this point our forces, based on the amount of assets that we currently have, will not be enough for sustained combat operations. While we can continue our current mission with what we have at our disposal, our capabilities are insufficient based on the fact that the enemy has access to a sizable quantity of ore-13. Combined with the fact that there are facsimile-controlled Knightmare divisions within the Britannian ranks, the probably of success in recovering the disk remains slim. If we're going to take on the 'Cons and all the other factions in this region, we're going to need those reinforcements soon.

I have dispatched Nightbeat, Mirage and Wheeljack back at Narita to investigate what caused the eruption that took down the city. Upon their return I will forward you their findings.

**- **Prowl, Autobot Deputy Commander


	22. Chapter 17 Reconciliation

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Nightbeat leads an investigation back at the Narita Mountains with the help of Wheeljack and Mirage. Meanwhile, Jazz invites the Ashford student council for a small get together at his apartment.**

* * *

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Chapter 17: Reconciliation

Strategic Operations Center  
Rocky Mountains, United States

After reading the latest report from Prowl, Optimus placed the data pad on the table and pursed his hands under his chin in deep thought. The situation with the Decepticon infiltration of the Britannian colony and open engagement by hostile forces signaled the immediacy of the situation in Area 11.

Memories of Cybertron surfaced in his neural processor, a time when peace reigned and the concept of factions was nonexistent. They were simpler days then, when he never carried the Matrix of Leadership within his chest cavity. The power that he held, and the responsibilities that went along with it, changed his entire viewpoint on the war entirely. He reminisced the day of which all Cybertronians, Autobot and Decepticon alike, would one day become whole again. His period of contemplation ended when Bumblebee's voice cut through the air.

"Optimus, I have an incoming transmission from Silverbolt in orbit."

"Put him through to the conference room."

Silverbolt materialized as a holographic avatar on the table. Behind the squadron commander were a group of his officers and several techs as they busied themselves in preparation for their journey into the alternate universe.

"Greetings, Optimus. We have brought Omega Supreme with us as you instructed," the Aerialbot leader informed.

"Excellent. Have him positioned near the moon along the rest of the fleet. What of the _Torisi-Yau_ and the _Forager_ groups?"

"They're only several light years behind us and will be within proximity of the Sol System in ten megacycles."

"Contact them and order them to move at best possible speed to Earth. Once they arrive, commence with preparations for departure. We will launch from Earth and rendezvous with you soon."

The Autobot squadron commander saluted sharply. "Yes sir, over and out."

Optimus rose on to his feet, arms propped against the conference table. After years of waiting the time for war dawned once again. He would be ready to take on whatever the Decepticons had to throw at him. There was no guarantee that the Autobots may be able to defeat their long-time rivals, but they were going to give them one hell of a fight they would never forget.

"Roadbuster, I need you in here. And bring the data of our combat drills that have been conducted over the last several solar cycles."

"On the way, sir," the Wreckers commander replied. Optimus studied the strategic map annotating suspected Decepticon activity versus the Black Knights and the Britannians. His processor thought about exercising the diplomacy option with the human factions, which he considered would be a futile gesture based on the historical animosity between the two parties.

"Primus help us all..."  
_ _ _

**Upper Summit  
Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Night settled over the area where the Black Knights launched their assault two days prior. Mirage's optics glowed an eerie yellow as he glanced at the sentries before they moved, leaving a very narrow window for the Autobots to do an impromptu examination of the scene before they made haste and left. Two Britannian sentries, both of them Sutherlands, moved away from the spot they guarded to continue on with their patrol.

"It's clear. You're free to move," the spy whispered.

It reminded Nightbeat of the stellar cycles which he prowled Iacon's streets as a rookie. Against his better judgment he came to the one place where Prowl recommended not to go. In the detective's processor, looking at the scene based on satellite imagery didn't feel the same as actually being there.

"What a mess," Wheeljack said, glancing at the wreckage which still hadn't been cleaned up yet. Zero's troops did a lot of damage, and killed a lot of people. The aftermath of the chaos that resulted from the vigilante's tactic disturbed the engineer. Body parts of slain soldiers from the Japan Liberation Front and the imperialists protruded out of sections of the region,

Unfazed by the scenery where the Britannians have died, Nightbeat looked around for any abnormalities within the search area. At first he founded nothing of interest, since the cracks and deformation of the mountains made it hard to identify any hard evidence. It also made it difficult for the Autobots to traverse. As the detective nearly caved in and called the investigation a dead end, his visor scanners bleeped at the presence of residual energy traces.

"Hello..." Nightbeat muttered to himself.

"Found something?" Wheeljack asked.

"There's a fissure in the terrain here," the inspector observed of the ground below. He knelt down and scanned along the crack before he reached the source, which was a ten meter gap that was visible at first sight. Mirage and Wheeljack stood alongside Nightbeat to take a look at the opening with their own optics.

"This is where the quake originated from. And judging by the readings, it was artificially induced," Wheeljack noted.

"What could've possibly created a landslide of that magnitude?" Mirage inquired.

The Autobot engineer pursed his chin with his right hand. "A device of great and deadly potential, equipped with a fuel rod and high energy output would've done the trick. Combined with enough applicable pressure on the mountain would cause a rupture to force the water to explode from inside the mountain and outward into the forests below."

Nightbeat nodded in agreement after listening to Wheeljack's assessment. "Well, considering all parties involved in the fighting, the Britannians and the 'Cons can be thrown out of the equation. And from the imagery that Cosmos recorded during the battle, Starscream was caught up in that hydro-volcanic eruption alongside the majority of the Cornelia's troops. That leaves the Black Knights as the most likely suspects who caused the landslide."

The blue detective pulled out a terrain extractor and placed it onto the ground. Standing back, the device whirred and took a sample of the dirt. The device sucked in a small portion into a vial that would be brought back to the Harker/Ferguson facility and analyzed by Perceptor's science division.

"Once we get back to base we'll need to conduct a thorough analysis on the sample. I have a feeling the Black Knights somehow managed to acquire energon-based weaponry," said the inspector.

"You might be right," Wheeljack agreed, pulling the extractor from the ground after it retracted itself. "The lab should be able to give us something a little more concrete."

"Let's get out of here," Nightbeat suggested afterwards. "Mirage, you got point for us?"

"Yeah, the area is clear from what my scanners are showing," said the spy.

"Good, let's leave before the Britannians come back," Wheeljack advised. The three Autobots slid down a hilly slope and escaped into the night.  
_ _ _

**Jazz's Apartment  
Paladium Condominium, Tokyo Settlement**

Prior to the attack on the old Autobot outpost back in Shinjuku, Jazz rented an apartment on the same day in which Marissa bought the lease for the new HQ where Prowl commanded. It was a good place for the Pretenders to hide, since the condo was only thirty minutes away from the mall and Harker/Ferguson, allowing them to reach both locations within a short timespan. While he was good operating as a team member, there were instances in which he would've preferred working alone. The events in the coming hours would be the exceptions to the norm.

In the kitchen Jazz occupied himself fixing up some cuisine for the incoming guests from Ashford Academy. The aromas felt new for the Autobot special ops officer, as Marissa walked over to check on the progress of the stew that brewed within the pot. The liquid substance bubbled as he raised the temperature to keep the heat steady. The NSA employee settled with the alternate identity of Marie Sykes.

"Marissa, everything look good?" Jazz asked of his human cohort. "Or should I say Marie?"

"As good as it's going to get," said the field runner, as she extended her hand pointing in the direction of the small stack of boxes that haven't been unpacked yet.

"Alright then, I might need some help with the soup," Jazz said. Marissa walked over to the special ops lieutenant in the kitchen and grabbed a wooden spoon to sample the broth. After she sampled the dish she gave her honest feedback.

"I think it needs a little extra salt," Marissa advised.

"You think so?" Jazz asked, unsure of himself.

"Trust me on this. After learning to cook since I was a child I consider myself savvy when it comes to the culinary arts," she said with a grin.

"Fair enough," the Autobot Pretender conceded.

"How's dinner coming?" Sideswipe asked as he walked through the living room, taking in the aromas of the food being cooked. "Smells good."

"It'll be a while before it's done," Jazz said. "Been practicing?"

"Trying to," the red Pretender told his leader truthfully. He was still trying to get used to the recreational activity of dancing. "And Jazz, thanks for asking Prowl to let us hang out here for a bit."

"He was generous enough to let you stay over here after that fiasco back at Omotesando. Besides, this is a good opportunity to patch things up."

Sideswipe simply nodded his head, wanting to forget about the incident back at the mall. "Right."  
_ _ _

While Marissa continued with the cooking, Jazz occupied himself sifting through his personal library of CDs that he purchased from the store back on his trip to Omotosando. While he could store thousands of songs in his own memory banks, he decided to purchase a subwoofer system and MP3/compact disc stereo set to experience the sentimental connection that humans have when it comes to their personal electronics.

After searching the album he was looking for, he stepped back out to the main lounge and inserted the disc into the CD player. Normally he'd stick with the tracks that he would listen to on a regular basis. Given the circumstances and the backgrounds of the incoming guests, he stuck with artists that would prove to be foreign at first but at the same time a welcoming sound piece for the group.

"Now, watch this," the special ops lieutenant said as he took Marissa in hand and dragged her with him, holding her figure barely an inch off the ground. The energy, the motivation, all of it was present in every action that Jazz took. The song finished, and paused when the Pretender pulled the remote he kept with him before the beginning of the next track.

"Alright, now you try it," he said.

The younger Pretender took her hand somewhat nervously. He was a fighter, not a dancer. While everyone present enjoyed watching Sideswipe make a fool out of himself as he fumbled his steps, which amused even Sunstreaker, who's usually nonchalant when it comes to doing human activities. When he watched how Sideswipe moved alongside Marissa, Jazz rapped his knuckles against the red Pretender's midsection.

"OW!" Sideswipe cried out, clutching his abdomen where he was struck by Razorclaw's servos.

"You may be sharp when it comes to cards, but you could use a little improvement in your footwork. Check this out."

Jazz demonstrated one of his signature moves that coincided with one of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's signature songs playing in the background. The trombone sounded off triumphantly while the seconds ticked. Drums rumbled and piano keys panned smoothly as the player rolled the track forward. The track that played stood true to the testament of Jazz's namesake and his fondness for the blues. Sideswipe laid on the ground, feeling defeated.

"Do I really have to do this?" the red twin groaned.

"No, but it would be good if you did," the older Pretender pointed out. The lessons that he tried to teach the younger Autobot remained futile, regardless of intent. It wouldn't be long before four students walked outside through the main hall that led to the special ops lieutenant's apartment.  
_ _ _

Lelouch tugged at his red jacket nervously. He was never fond of trivial events such as the one he was about to attend with some of the student council. Since the Snyders went through the trouble of inviting the council over to their apartment for dinner. He scratched his black mane, which he found out grew slightly after the lull from the Narita battle. All he thought about before their arrival to the condominium was the appearance of the animal mechs and their adversaries as they fought in the forestlands. He had Kallen, Ohgi, and Tamaki look into the other groups that were operating in Area 11, including Harker/Ferguson's recent activities and whatever involvement that they may have in the region.

When he, Milly, Shirley and Rivalz stopped, it remained the Ashford council president's duty to rap on the door. All of them were dressed casually, due to the fact that it was anything but a formal event. The girls wore nice frilly dresses and light coats while the boys had sweaters and jackets to adorn their appearance. Lelouch surmised that the Snyders wanted to invite the girls and their friends over as reconciliation for the fight that occurred back at the mall. He was personally grateful that the twins helped Milly and Shirley out, lest he be in the twins' place as the protectors and use his Geass power on the gang that attacked the girls.

"It was nice of Jerome to invite us over, but is it really necessary for me to come?" the vice president asked bluntly.

"Don't be like that, Lulu," Shirley said with a reprimanding tone, wrapping her arms around his.

"It's a big place, I gotta say," Rivalz noted.

"Hey guys," Chris said, pulling the door inward to let the guests in. Lelouch felt indifferent in the appearance of the Snyders' living space, which sported a clean and new look.

Jerome looked around the four students. "Where are Suzaku and Kallen?"

"I'm afraid he had to work still," Milly said solemnly, a sad expression in her eyes. "And Kallen's feeling sick again, and she apologizes

"This is a nice apartment," Shirley observed, sporting a curious look to see what else was inside.

"We still need to do some rearranging around here. Thought it'd help with the décor," Jerome joked before he gestured the students to come in. "Well, don't keep us in the suspense. Come on in."

As the Ashford Academy students settled themselves at the behest of the apartment's residents, a woman in her thirties walked to the group. She wore a tan sweater with diamond patterns that marked the top and bottom sections of the cloth. Her face had possessed a curvature that belied her youth, with light makeup on her cheekbones. The woman smelled of a carefully applied perfume.

"Hello, Milly. I'm Marie Sykes," the tall brunette said, taking the Ashford heiress by the hand and shaking it earnestly. "Jerome's told me about the council and your school."

"Glad to hear it," the Ashford woman replied.

Jerome's female co-worker turned towards the ex-prince. "And you must be Lelouch. The girls spoke much about you," she chimed to the boy.

"Not too much, I hope," Lelouch said before he saw one of the Snyder twins holding onto a crutch. "What happened to Evan?"

"Had an accident," the blond man answered curtly.

"Right" the ex-prince said, his tone hinting skepticism.

"Well don't keep yourselves in suspense now. Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable, dinner's about to be ready in a few," Jerome informed, the smells already caught the interest of the Ashford students.  
_ _ _

The group dined amongst themselves, savoring the shrimp stock that the Snyders provided for everyone, which eventually led to a well-made which took a meticulous amount of effort. After two hours of recreational activity, which consisted of Twister and Scrabble, they reached a point where they wanted to try something else. Lelouch proved himself incredibly adept at answering trivia, even though he expressed no particular interest when he arrived at the apartment. After several bouts contesting over interesting academia, everything grinded to a temporary halt when the group deliberated on what they would do after the games.

"What's next?" Milly asked of the group with her hands linked.

The answer that followed made all of the council members, save Lelouch, perk their heads up. "Anyone up for some dancing?" Jerome asked directly of them.

Shirley perked her head up. "Ohh, what music do you have available?"

"Pretty wide selection. Hang on," he answered back as he sifted through his music albums.

"Why do you have CDs?" Rivalz pointed out, knowing the practicality of digital downloads.

"Although I like listening to MP3s, I figured I'd take a risk and buy a chunk of CDs to record and listen to. Just to get a sampling of the musical atmosphere of the area," Jerome replied, inserting a disc called _Americana Deluxe_. "Here's a good one."

When the music played, it opened the doors for the real action to begin. Chris walked to Shirley and invited her to something she did not expect.

"Care to dance?" Chris asked of Shirley.

The orange-haired girl offered a hand in response. "I'd love to."

Both individuals attempted to dance along with the beat of the music, although Chris proved inept after a few minutes.

"Time out, time out," Jerome interrupted, using both of his arms to cross in an X-motion in front of his body. "You're killing me. You got to do it like this, bro."

The deejay took Marie by the hand and performed a series of feats that was close to professional, even though the woman didn't look the part. Memories of the times that he attended imperial ball rooms prior to his exile surfaced. It was one part of the past that he remembered fondly. After observing Jerome and his partner for a moment, Lelouch decided to stand up and show his stuff.

"May I try?" the ex-prince offered.

"Uh, sure," Chris answered weakly, handing custody of his partner over to Lelouch.

"Perhaps we can change to something different," Jerome said. Classical music replaced the previous album, giving them something familiar to go on. The student vice president embraced his fellow council member while the instrumentals swooned over the air. Shirley savored the moment as she looked into his deep violet eyes. When it finished, everyone clapped at how well they moved alongside each other.

"Whoa," was all Chris managed to say, combing his hair with his fingers.

"I'm impressed," Rivalz said, stroking his chin. "Where'd you learn that from?"

"Watching and doing," Jerome explained.

"You are such a showoff," Evan chastised, knowing full well of the older Snyder's crazy antics.

Both took their time as Jerome, being the older brother he is, guided Christopher in his steps as the beat got stronger. Christopher just lacked the foundation necessary to properly execute his movements to the rhythm of the music.

"Mind if I try? What is this music called?" Milly asked.

"It's called swing," Jerome said.

"Hmm, never heard of it."

"Well, retro-swing actually," the older Snyder added, correcting himself. The style in which the tune played remained somewhat esoteric to the ears of the council members, whose familiarity in the musical realm leaned mainly on the classics. The way that the tune played was a welcoming change of pace, but not so far out as to alienate the young teenagers.

"How did you find out about it?" she inquired. She knew numerous classical artists like Mozart, Bach, and Bizet. They had a feel to them that whenever she listened, it put her mind at ease. This 'swing' music as Jerome described moved with style and executed an inverted break upside down over his head.

"Something I studied and learned about during the course of my career," the deejay hinted with a smile. "I figured I'd take a small risk in introducing somethin' interesting, but nothing so far that would throw y'all out of the loop. Why, don't like it?"

"No, no, no, this is wonderful. I like it," Milly said, her mind focused on the music.

"Me too," Rivalz interjected, combing his hair with his hand in an attempt to woo the blonde as he usually does.

Shirley pursed her chin on her hands. "Same here, this is actually quite interesting."

Jerome swapped albums again, which played over and reached to a track of South American origin. Milly held to the hems of her dress and whirled with the beat of the music, as expected of an 18 year-old well versed in the dancing arts. It became clear Jerome that she excelled at it, as her body moved in unison with the notes that emanated from the stereo player. When the track finished, the student council president bowed politely at the host, where he simply stood in place and smiled at their performance.

"Not bad," Jerome said as he stroked his chin.

"Wow!" Shirley exclaimed in wonderment. Lelouch stood nonchalantly but offered a smile to compensate for it. The evening stood out as a pleasant one for both parties.  
_ _ _

Slightly exhausted from the amount of energies expended throughout the moonlight hours, the Ashford Academy students and their hosts decided to call it a night. Regardless of the outcome, Evan remained his usual creepy self. His silence counterbalanced by the amount of enjoyment that Lelouch and his three friends drew out of the event. As the group of teens exited the apartment one by one, they paused when the Jerome directed a question to them: "Did you all enjoy the evening?"

"Yes. It was fun hanging around with you guys," Shirley commented.

"As much as we would like to stay, we have to leave. We have a budget meeting tomorrow for another festival this year," Milly smiled warmly, giving the deejay a hug. "It was nice of you to invite us over for dinner."

"You're welcome to come back any time. Just give us a call when you do, alright?" Jerome said.

"Sure thing!" the student council president waved to the Snyders, with Shirley nodding.

"I'd be more than happy to come as long as she's going," Rivalz said, leaning a tad bit too close towards Ruben Ashford's granddaughter.

"Off, boy! Behave!" Milly chastised, keeping her wannabe-suitor off by smacking him several times upside the head.

After the students left, Lelouch remained somewhat uneasy after the events of night. While it served no real purpose whatsoever, save to take his mind off of the stress involved in managing the Black Knights' operations. There were other forces at work in Area 11. The possibility of inside agents within the heart of Cornelia's command structure remained a distant but intriguing tactical advantage for him to exploit. He would need to seek help from the outside, and start with the very people that funded the Black Knights and other resistance forces inside the colony: the Kyoto House.

**End of Chapter 17**

* * *

Author's Note:**  
**

Not too much to say, save that I wrote this piece since fighting's been prevalent for the last few chapters. It's a nice change of pace after the amount of action that occurred within that time span. Happy Thanksgiving to everybody around the world.

Just so you know, there is a possibility I might tweak this a bit.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	23. Chapter 18 The Color of Sorrow

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**As Lelouch gains more support from elements of the Japanese resistance movement, tragedy strikes from an unexpected source.  
**

* * *

****

**Chapter 18 – The Color of Sorrow**

**Student ****Council Clubhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Finances proved to be a vigorous but rewarding prospect in the daily duties of the student council members. Rivalz and Milly deliberated due to the absence of Lelouch in appropriating funds to the next club that was slated to take lead for the next monthly festival after the success of the fashion club's festival not too long ago.

At the table Shirley sat quietly in contemplation. She received a letter from her father, who explained that he was on an errand at the Narita mountains to handle resource extraction for the government. After peeking inside she kept them close to her heart, thankful that her dad bought these so that she could go with a friend to see the performance of Amadeus at the opera house downtown.

Her father, knowing that she enjoyed classical music like himself, Shirley's eyes brightened when she saw that the 7th Britannian Symphony Orchestra would be performing the play live at the same location. She pondered who she would bring along with her and founded it to be the perfect chance in which to invite the vice president and express her feelings towards him.

Milly noticed her friend drifting in dreamily, a sign that the latter was deep in thought. "What's wrong now? Stomach-ache? Missed your monthly?"

"No, that's not it," Shirley answered gloomily.

"Then you must be feeling lonely because Lelouch isn't here, are you?"

"No, that's not it…"

"You could at least just say three words to him: I like you!"

Shirley widened her eyes when Milly told her that. "But I can't!"

"You want me to do it for you?" the blonde teased.

"No, don't do that!"

They all froze at the presence of Lelouch.

"Lelouch, I see you finally decided to show up," Milly mused teasingly. "We were just talking about you."

"My apologies, Madam President. I had to do some shopping for Nunnally and restock the fridge," he replied coolly.

"Well, in that case I need you to care of these papers for us," she said while working behind a computer on the conference table.

Lelouch walked forward and retrieved the paperwork from the table, accidentally taking Shirley's letter with him. "Of course."

"Isn't he such a good subordinate?" Milly joked behind his back.

"Hmph, I suppose I am," the black-haired man answered before he proceeded down the hallway back outside on campus grounds.

Shirley breathed a sigh of relief. Her hand clutched closely to her chest. "Oh no, my tickets!"  
_ _ _

"Lulu, wait up!"

"Huh?"

Just as Lelouch proceeded down the cobbled road that led out to the campus grounds, Shirley stopped him in his tracks. He turned to face her, not sure  
what to expect. He kept the stack of papers he grabbed earlier close to his liner.

"Do you have my letter somewhere in that?"

"Hmm? Oh," the ex-prince muttered as he fished the item out of the sheaf of papers and handed it to his classmate. "My apologies."

"It's okay," Shirley said weakly, "Lulu, I was wondering-"

The ex-prince waited for what she had to say.

"-if you would go out to the opera house with me later this week."

"You mean a date?" he asked, trying to figure out what Shirley was getting at.

"Yes," she answered, fishing the tickets out of the stack that Lelouch had and give it to him. The young lad studied it for a moment and offered a smile to her in return.

"I'd be more than happy to go. I'll clear out my schedule."

Shirley grew suspicious of him at that moment. He was secretive in his disposition and spoke little of his activities outside campus. Lelouch suspected that she wondered if he was back into his gambling habits again. Not that she wouldn't be wrong, only the scope of how much he was putting into the stake.

And the ante was high. All the chess games in the world paled in comparison to the campaigning against the occupation forces that controlled Japan.

"Thanks! Call me as soon as you can!"

"I will," Lelouch waved weakly. He couldn't help but think of the eventual meeting with a member of the NAC, the council which presides over the socioeconomic development of the metropolitan areas that both Britannians and Elevens occupied. Their true identity as the Six Houses of Kyoto was known only to a few, including Lelouch. They were responsible for funding the various terrorist factions that resisted the Britannian occupation of Japan. Bringing them into the fold would help advance him further in his agenda to crushing Cornelia's army.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Prowl spent a good five megacycles reviewing combat data during the engagement against the Decepticons and the Britannians at Narita. While they originally had no intention of interfering in the battle, the fact that Starscream commanded the operation was inescapable. He surmised that the Decepticons were making a push to accelerate the infiltration process and gain control of the small percentage of ore-13 hidden with the mass of sakuradite in Japan.

During their last deliberation, Optimus promised that reinforcements would come in the next two solar cycles. The Autobot/American alliance assessed intelligence that was available based on satellite imagery and intercepted transmissions between Britannian command hubs all around the Pacific Rim.

"Where's Spike?"

"He's still busy working on the prisoner," Ironhide explained.

"How long has he been in there?"

The security chief crossed his arms once the screams turned into silence. "At least two megacycles."

Just as Prowl prepared himself to intervene via holoavatar into the interrogation room, Spike stepped out into the open where the two Autobot officers stood. The SEAL strode towards a sink to wash his hands of the blood that stained his fists, after giving repeated beatings during a very extensive questioning of the recently captured Marcus Reinfield. Much to the disdain of Prowl, the chief liaison gradually stepped up the intensity of the interrogation process. The amount of experience that Spike had in this particular area proved to be disturbingly clear to the Autobots, where the audible pains of the clone scientist echoed through the darkest space that the factory could provide.

Although the Autobot deputy commander understood the need for his human colleague to lash out against the one person who oversaw the mutagenic experimentation on children, he felt it unnecessary as to the contribution of the overall mission of retrieving the Golden Disk and removing the Decepticons from Area 11.

At the urging of Ratchet, he decided to intervene despite the fact that logic dictated something needed to be done in order to make any further progress in their task. It wasn't the first time that personal ethics clashed with the tactical necessities of taking the next step.

"Spike, may I have a word with you?"

The human commander nodded, walking alongside the Cybertronian leader to a location where they wouldn't be disturbed by anyone. When they reached a spot where privacy would be maintained, Spike turned to his comrade face-to-face. His face showed no visible sign of expression that Prowl could detect.

"What is it, Prowl?"

"We both know that we do what is necessary during wartime." Prowl said, anticipating a response from the NSA liaison. "Aren't you're going a little bit on the extreme side?"

His prediction came true with a ninety percent accuracy based on Spike's personality.

"I've been doing this stuff for more than ten years, and suddenly you grow a conscious?"

The Autobot deputy commander remained silent.

"You don't have a son. I do!" Spike snapped at him. The rationale that Prowl tried to bring into the conversation escaped him completely. Unflinching, the Autobot deputy commander remained well-aware of the fact that Spike had a child. He guessed that during the man's career in the CIA he saw terrible things that he didn't want to see. Things that couldn't be washed away with a mere thought, and haunted him in his sleep.

"I understand your feelings in this matter, Spike. But there's a bigger picture to this."

"Don't lecture me," the commando reminded him. "Especially when there are other Americans involved in this. Arkeville's not only a traitor, he's a monster. There's one thing that I'm sure of Prowl: when I find him, I'm going to kill him for what he did."

"This isn't just out of revenge for the loss of your colleagues when you worked for the CIA, is it?"

"What do you think?" Spike spat back.

Prowl softened his look, replacing his usual expression that he used on the job with one of sorrow. He had a recollection that humans couldn't program themselves like Cybertronians can when it came to situations of a sensitive nature. The suppression of his emotions was hardwired into his programming. It was a quality which made the Autobots and Decepticons similar to humans.

"Look, I'm sorry," the SEAL commander said apologetically after he stopped himself short. "But I have to do what is necessary to keep my people safe, just like you."

There was more beneath the surface than what the SEAL was telling him. Even when Prowl knew the naval officer was dedicated to protecting his people. Spike combed through his mane with his hands, feeling fatigue settling in but pushing to stay up.

"Count on this: when we do find him, he's going to get what's coming to him."  
_ _ _

**Train Station**  
**Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Shirley stood in the main lounge where the train that connected to Narita. The text message that her mother sent her a few hours earlier caught her off-guard. Disappointed that she would have to put aside her plans, she decided to head to the station to ascertain the purpose of her being summoned to metro.

Her cell phone played a snippet from one of Mozart's musical pieces before she saw her mother's name on it.

"Hello?"

"Shirley?" a feminine voice called.

"Hi mother, I'm waiting here at the station now."

"Good, I'll be meeting you over there soon."

After finishing the conversation she dialed in Lelouch's number. It wasn't exactly what she had in mind but she had to hold it off their date temporarily. She prayed that whatever her mother wanted to meet her about wouldn't be too long. Judging from the tone of the call she received earlier from Anna Fenette, whatever she had to tell Shirley wasn't good.

"Lelouch Lamperouge speaking," the student vice-president said.

"Lulu, I know that we had an arrangement to go tonight, but there's something I have to do so I might be late."

"I understand. Unfortunately I have to take care of something as well," he said. "I'll contact you again as soon as I'm available."

The female student council member nodded before she saw her mother not too far away. "Alright."

"Shirley!"

Shirley hugged her mother, but grew suspicious at the presence of the woman that accompanied her. The newcomer had silver-hair waist-length, with a uniform that showed she was part of the military. Though her expression stood out as a

"Hello, my name is Viletta. Are you Shirley Fenette?"

"Yes," the orange-haired girl answered nervously.

She extended a hand to the young student. "Please come with me, there's something I need to discuss with you and your mother."  
_ _ _

**Viceroy's Office**  
**Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Cornelia sifted through the mass stacks of intel that poured in, including Lloyd's analysis of the battle between the combating forces. In front of her was a large monitor screen that played video footage of the previous encounters with the transforming mechanoids that have appeared on and off the grid.

Darlton and Gilford stood before their commander, expressionless. She did not need to guess that they were as perplexed as she was as to why and how there were moles inside her army. Trust proved to be fragile, as the revelation of insiders operating within the heart of the imperial forces. While Cornelia knew Guilford and Darlton ever since she was a child, she slowly began to harbor doubts as to whether or not she could confide herself to them.

"These are the insignias belonging to the two unknowns that our forces have engaged in the past thirty days."

"I have assigned the Glaston Knights and subordinate units selected by us personally to check thoroughly on personnel records of the pilots that turned against us back in Narita."

"What is the progress of the investigation?"

"So far nothing came up, their records were mixed. Aside from disciplinary infractions and the like, none of it suggested they had any affiliation with terrorist groups in Area 11."

Cornelia straightened herself in her seat. "Essentially a dead end."

"Correct. However, we did an inspection of the Knightmares that belonged to the rogue troops."

"And what did you find?"

"This."

Darlton tapped on a control panel that changed the focus of the battle site to the remains of one of the traitor Sutherlands. The armor plating looked as if it was infected by some foreign mass that warped the hull. Cornelia studied it and realized that it wasn't the red Knightmare's doing, since the radiation from its weapon warped affected KMFs in an entirely different matter. It almost appeared as if it was something... alien.

"Based on metallurgical analyses conducted by the inspection teams, they have founded several of the units that had this on them," the general explained to them.

"What is it?" Cornelia inquired, giving a curious look at the phenomenon.

"We're not sure. It has some kind of cybernetic composite which we've never seen before." Darlton said.

"Some form of bio-weapon?" the viceroy asked.

Darlton stroked his chin. "It's certainly a possibility. The question would be what kind of delivery system is being used to infect the Sutherlands."

"Do we have anyone on site that knows about this?" Guilford inquired.

"The Special Corps under Earl Asplund is overseeing part of the investigation."

The conversation between the three commanders were interrupted when they overheard muffled voices outside Cornelia's office. Euphemia then abruptly charged through the doors, with the sisters' personal butler following in pursuit.

"Your Highness, please!"

"I told you, I refuse to be a prisoner in my quarters!" the pink-haired woman snapped at the servant. The elder man backed away slowly.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," the servant pleaded. "I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry for interrupting you, sister," Euphemia said.

Cornelia raised her voice only slightly, since no one was allowed to enter the office without her authorization. "Euphy, didn't I tell you to stay in the room?"

"I kept you there for your own safety."

Euphemia frowned slightly, making it clear to the second princess that she disliked the notion of being kept like a caged bird in their own quarter of the building. Cornelia softened her look slightly, understanding her younger sibling's resentment of her overprotective nature. The three men that were present in the room looked between the two sisters and remained still.

"It's alright, leave us. I need to speak with Euphemia alone," the viceroy declared to her advisors. Both Darlton and Guilford bowed in respect and departed alongside the butler. Only the two sisters remained in the office, when the third princess glanced at the viewscreen and saw a blurred picture of the mechanical lion that fought against the forces of the Black Knights as well as the empire's troops.

"Is this what you were fighting out there?" the sub-viceroy inquired.

Cornelia laid down the remote on her desk and locked her hands. "Yes. And they're remarkably efficient for original designs that we have never seen before."

She clicked on the device that showed two of the contacts, one red and one yellow fighting against the mechanical lion before she explained further. "It held off the Black Knights' red Knightmare as well as the one piloted by Warrant Officer Kururugi."

"What purpose would they have of being at the mountains in the first place?" the sub-viceroy raised. It was a legitimately good question, one which had no immediate answer to the situation at hand. Cornelia stood at full height and walked to her younger sibling and held her close in a sisterly embrace before she retracted herself and looked into her eyes.

"Euphy, there's something that we need to talk about that does not go outside this room. Understand?"

Euphemia kept silent, nodding in respect to her older sister's request.

"We have reason to believe that there are traitors operating within the ranks."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that aside from terrorists, there is a strong possibility that there are moles working within our very own organization."

The look in Cornelia's eyes triggered a worrisome expression from Euphemia. "Is that even possible?"

"Unfortunately, the evidence speaks for itself. The strange part is, we don't even know what the reason is as to why these soldiers are defecting, or what the extent of the infiltration is. I worry for your safety."

The viceroy's words rang through Euphemia's mind. Since the two factions that operated in Area 11 made no formal declaration of war, the fact that they were machines armed with highly advanced energy weapons and other exotic technologies made these factors all the more scarier than initially perceived. And both groups had the capability to hide from KMF factsphere sensors and radar nets eluded her. While top scientists were already in the progress of creating an alternate means to detect these machines, they would not come soon enough. Thus, she was forced to improvise with the resources that she already has at her disposal based on the availability of current military assets. While she lost many of her troops at Narita, auxiliary forces were already en route from the homeland to assist. Whether they would arrive soon enough to assist her forces remained foremost on her mind.

Nodding, Euphemia took hold of her older sister's gloved hands in understanding. "I'm still here, if you need someone to confide in. You can always talk to me."

"Thank you," Cornelia said, clutching onto her blood.  
_ _ _

**ASEEC Trailer  
Narita Mountains**

Suzaku rolled his sleeves and cleansed himself with his water bottle. The heat proved to be oppressive, but he persevered despite the increasingly harsh weather conditions. His hair was doused in wetness as he shook it off. He felt dirt and dust speckle across his face after digging up bodies alongside the soldiers assigned to the recovery team. It didn't take much to see that the majority of personnel that fought in the battle remained distrusting of him, despite the fact that he openly fought to save the viceroy's life.

He watched from the distance as the Sutherlands that remained from the main contingent of the imperial army worked on recovering the bodies of fallen comrades and civilians caught in the landslide. Lloyd walked towards the tent in which Suzaku preoccupied himself with thoughts of the previous skirmishes.

"How are you feeling, chap?" he asked of the Lancelot operator. A situation like the one in which they were in now was one of the few instances in which he expressed concern in a human way, as opposed to treating as part of a machine.

"Alright. I still want to assist in recovering the bodies."

"Well, you're in luck. Consider this Princess Cornelia's orders for the time being. She was generous enough to allow you to remain," the scientist told him.

"Lloyd, what exactly is Zero fighting for? What does he hope to achieve by all this meaningless killing?" Suzaku questioned.

"Well, it's as he says: the Black Knights fight for justice."

Suzaku clenched the plastic bottle in his fist. "How can this be justice?"

"Oh please, don't give me one of those boring speeches about righteousness and injustice," Lloyd said, before he answered to a ring on his cell phone. "You'll have to pardon me for a moment, there's some remains of wrecked Knightmares that I need to examine now."

"Shirley?" he whispered. He did not anticipate the arrival of his classmate so far from the capital. He observed that she walked alongside the silver-haired Pureblood female that served under Gottwald's command, and another woman trailing behind the pair. Suzaku had a growing urge to pursue them, but focused back on his task in assisting of recovering the bodies.  
_ _ _

**Kyoto Hideout**  
**Sakuradite Mines, Mount Fuji**

During an arduous journey towards the location in which the Black Knight leaders were scheduled a meeting, Ohgi, Tamaki, Kallen, and Zero spoke with each other on what they expected out of the meeting. Upon their arrival to the site, the four individuals exited from the back of the limousine that transported them to the hidden lair of the organization known as the Kyoto House. They never expected to find themselves in the very same mines that began the war between Britannia and Japan.

Kallen wondered why they had to go through the extra hoops just to secure a meeting. They considered themselves lucky that their exploits allowed them to gain audience with a member of the Kyoto House.

Throughout the majority of the ride to Mount Fuji Zero remained eerily silent. He proactively involved himself in meetings concerning the logistical needs of the Black Knights and additional missions that would weaken the empire's grip on Area 11. Then there was the issue of the secrecy. None have met a member of the council that presides over the group that supplies resistance groups all over Japan with weapons and funding.

"Where are we?" Kallen wondered.

"I don't know, but be on your guard," Zero said to his three cohorts.

A man assigned to the security detail of the building walked towards the four-person group and led them towards what they believed to be a completely enclosed space with no view of the outside world.

"This is starting to get uncomfortable…" Ohgi muttered, before the wall on the left side of the group changed into a view of what they saw as a cloud bank high above. Suspicion changed into reality as three of the four Black Knight officers peered below.

"I can't believe we're actually on top of the mines that started this whole war mess!" Tamaki said.

"It's a beautiful view, seeing it from up here," Kallen said as she surveyed the city in admiration.

"Not as remarkable as it once was years before the imperialists arrived and conquered our home," a voice called out from the shadows. "Now the mountain is nothing more but a face of corruption, its continual rape of a reflection of what Japan has become. What a wretched thing it is."

Zero turned to face the figure hidden from under the curtains of the carriage, where Kallen, Tamaki, and Ohgi followed suit.

"Are you our contact?" the masked vigilante asked.

"Yes, I am," the voice responded calmly.

Tamaki pointed a finger at their host and his two guards. "What's with the concealment?"

"Be silent! You have no right to speak to our leader that way!" the apparent security chief said.

"I apologize for the circumstances in which you've been brought here. Like you, I hide my identity to ensure that our faith isn't misplaced."

Four Burais stepped out from the shadows armed with assault rifles. All of them aimed in the direction of the Black Knights.

"Which one of you is Ohgi?"

"I am, sir," the Black Knight second-in-command answered.

"Ohgi, remove Zero's mask," the voice said, almost as if he was issuing a command to the resistance fighter. "If we are to actually trust you, we must first know your true identity."

Ohgi turned reluctant when their host ordered him to take off Zero's mask. "I'm sorry, Zero. But we need to see this, so that we can trust you too…"

Kallen widened her eyes as Ohgi clasped the sides of their leader's mask, and lifted it slowly. What they thought was a man instead revealed a young woman, possibly in her twenties, with flowing green hair that swept against her cape and cowl.

"What the –- Zero's a woman?" Tamaki exclaimed.

"It can't be..." Ohgi muttered in disbelief.

"Just who the hell are you?" Kallen challenged. She shot a glare at the stranger, who remained calm despite the numerous Japanese that surrounded the four comrades.

"I am an associate of the real Zero," the woman said. "I watched your battle against the Britannians at Narita."

Kallen almost drew her knife before she was stopped short by Ohgi.

"How do you fit into all this?" Tamaki inquired.

"You will know in due time," the woman replied.

"You there, you are not Japanese?" the host asked, whose view was obscured by Ohgi's back.

"That is correct," the green-haired girl smiled. "Taizou Kirihara."

"Anyone who can identify our leader must be terminated. Especially a person who is not of Japanese descent!"

Tamaki raised his hands in front of himself. "Whoa, hold on! This is all just a big mistake!"

"Silence!" one of the guards commanded, leveling his sidearm against the three Black Knight officers and their mysterious companion that masqueraded as the vigilante.

Growing more confused by the minute. Kallen wondered where the real Zero hid.  
_ _ _

The ploy of using C.C. as his double worked better than expected. He had a transmitter installed in her helmet while he had one of his men trail behind the limousine that transported his command staff into the structure.

Seeing Taizou's guards distracted, Lelouch moved forward with his Burai. Both of his slash harkens knocked the assault rifles out of the hands of the Kyoto Burais, as he simultaneously swung one of his stun tonfas to knock the rifle out of the hands of the Burai left of him.

"How sloppy! Your philosophy and your methods are outdated! How do you expect to achieve victory if you follow such an antiquated mode of thinking? That is why you will never achieve victory against the empire!"

The surprised security force aimed their weapons at Lelouch's Burai. All of the guards present remained well-aware of the reality of Lelouch's threat.

"Stay back, Zero has a remote trigger in his hand! No one move!" one of the security guards said.

Lelouch glanced at his host from the cockpit of his Burai Kai, climbing down to the hand of the Knightmare while his hand remained clutched to the trigger remote. "Taizou Kirihara, founder of Kirihara Industries which has a monopoly on the sakuradite mining industry. You were one of the key individuals that played a substantial role in the Kururugi administration. Widely known as Kirihara the Traitor, you consorted with the occupation to avoid the tribunals after the fall of Japan."

Kirahara kept his hands over his cane. "How do you know all this?"

"My sources are well-placed," Lelouch said.

"Why do you fight against the empire?"

"I have reasons which compel me to do so. I have to, simply because I must."

"Who are you?" the elderly Japanese man asked.

_I hope I'm not making a mistake_, Lelouch thought to himself as he took off his mask. The helmet hissed loudly as he slowly brought it above his head, revealing his true identity.

Kirhara widened his eyes to a familiar face which he'd thought he'd never see again. "It's you..."

"It's been a long time, Lord Kirihara," Lelouch said, taking off his helmet and revealing his true face before a former caretaker. The ex-prince risked much by simply coming over to Mount Fuji just to meet with the secretive financier.

"Why have you come?"

"I need your help," Lelouch pleaded. The aged Japanese man that served under the Kururugi administration studied the boy's eyes. Seven years of hiding, combined with plotting behind the scenes culminated into a meeting which would lead the two to see each other face-to-face once more.

"So the seeds that has been planted seven years ago finally bloomed," Kirihara said as he studied the former prince momentarily. The aged man searched for any signs of deception. Lelouch suspected that the former government official wanted to seek the truth behind the ex-princes tirades as Zero. The need to discern the purpose behind the man that was once a political hostage of the Kururugi administration alongside Nunnally. The elder Japanese man instinctively understood Lelouch's intent, and saw that he was their only hope to salvation for his people.

"Ohgi!"

"Yes sir?" Zero's second-in-command replied with his head perked up.

"This man is truly an enemy of Britannia," Kirihara declared. "We pledge to provide full support to the Black Knights with intelligence and field equipment."

Lelouch nodded, pleased with the understanding which the two man reached with one another. Kirihara stopped him before the ex-prince reseated his mask.

"I have just one more question for you."

"What's that?"

"Are you truly prepared to walk the path of blood?"

To that end Lelouch simply smiled at his host. "I believe I'm already walking on it."  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike, Jazz, and Prowl situated themselves in a location where a series of terminals were set up. The three allied officers glanced at their data before they conferred with each other on their next course of action.

"Alright, we know that the Decepticons have instigated activity here, here, and here," Prowl said, pointing at the three-dimensional display of the world as it glowed brightly, with a section of Japan highlighted.

"Based on satellite imagery sent from Cosmos, we suspect the Decepticons' next target will be the Yokosuka dockyards," Jazz said.

"We managed to cull intelligence from Doctor Reinfield. And based on what he's given us so far," Spike said, reading through his notes. "They have been transporting illegal materials through China into Japan via Port Yokosuka back and forth."

"Why is that?" the Autobot lieutenant asked.

"Apparently Lukas International's got numerous contracts overseas. Pharmaceuticals and the like," the NSA liaison explained.

Prowl stroked his chin as he studied the tactical overlay of Decepticon activity around China. "He also intercepted a series of encrypted transmissions throughout the Pacific Rim. Apparently the Decepticons are mobilizing more of their assets on the eastern side of the Chinese mainland."

"I can have my guys come with you as backup."

Prowl shook his head. "Too risky. We don't know what Starscream may have in store for us."

"You're seriously considering of leaving us out of the fight?" Spike asked, who prepared himself to protest the expedition commander's decision.

"Optimus is bringing in reinforcements, but unfortunately it won't be soon enough. Once we're back at to fighting condition, we'll head on out and take on the 'Cons."

"All the more reason to bring us with you," the American officer countered.

"What about their access to ore-13? They kicked our sorry tailpipes when we fought them back at Narita," Jazz reminded them. "And with the Predacons assisting him, it will be even more difficult to remove the Decepticon presence from Area 11."

Raising a finger, Prowl smiled confidently to assuage his colleague's concerns. "Wheeljack is currently working on countermeasures to nullify their fighting capabilities. In the meantime, we'll load up and prepare for the next operation."

The three leaders continued to deliberate with each other throughout the night, with no foreseeable agreement in terms of what they should do coming any time soon.  
_ _ _

**Downtown  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Lelouch cursed the weather during the night, the light showing the path towards the opera house. Rain poured down while thunder and lightning rumbled in the distance.

_Everything is going just as I have envisioned_, the ex-prince smiled. _Soon the Black Knights_ _will be strong enough to wipe out the empire from this colony. _

He walked to find a clearly distressed Shirley dead ahead. Her face stared down onto the ground with strands of hair blocking her eyes. As the rain pattered against his umbrella, he continued forward until he placed the cover over them.

Lelouch offered a look of sympathy as he gripped the umbrella and walked towards her. Sensing distress, he mustered his courage and walked to her as she became wetter under the massive torrent of water that poured overhead. He tried to assuage her anger towards him.

"I'm sorry that I'm late. I thought that you'd have left already. Anyway, let's not worry about that. Let's get someplace that's out of the rain now."

Shirley posed a question to him that caught him off-guard.

"Say, Lulu... Zero, he fights for the weak doesn't he?"

"That's what he claims," Lelouch answered cautiously. His curiosity aroused, he was about to ask his own question before Shirley followed up with her next one.

"Then... then why did he kill my father?"

"Wha-?" the vice president muttered before he was cut off.

"My father… was so gentle. He never, ever hurt me. But he was buried alive…" Shirley choked out with tears streaming down her cheeks. "He couldn't... breathe... Why? Why did my father have to die?"

Lelouch froze speechlessly. The news of the death of his friend's father caught him by surprise. The umbrella no longer in his grip, he felt raindrops patter against his uniform and released it from his hold. Shirley moved in against him and locked his body in an embrace that he couldn't escape from.

"Please, Lulu… help..."

It struck his mind like a hammer as Shirley slowly made her advance toward him, where their faces connected with each other. He held onto her, finding it difficult to let go. Despite the urge to free himself from the softness of her lips, Lelouch was trapped in a moment that felt like an eternity.

**End of Chapter 18**

****

Author's note:

I wanted to illustrate the fear and extent in which the Decepticons have infiltrated the Britannian army, somewhat akin to the alien organism in John Carpenter's _The Thing_. Hopefully I have achieved the desired effect.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	24. Chapter 19 Awakening

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Starscream plans another operation to assassinate Cornelia and expand control of the Decepticon army in Area 11. Soundwave initiates his own scheme that will awaken a slumbering beast and shake the world to its very foundations.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Awakening**

**Lukas International Main Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**  
Blitzwing's body was kept in cryogenic regeneration after being torn to shreds by the Predacons when their malfunction occurred, due to the pesky devices of the Autobot engineer. It would not be long before his chassis fully recovered. Once the triple-changer came back online he would be itching to fight against the Autobot special ops lieutenant that managed to best him in combat.

Although getting revenge against the Black Knights did not escape his mind completely, he had other personal priorities that took precedence over his vendetta. The Britannians were severely weakened after the loss of their army back in Narita. Such a fact made the aerospace commander smile with glee, as he still had several units of the Aerospace Extermination Squadron stationed in secret locations around Area 11, along with the Swarmers under the control of the Insecticons.

Starscream had a vision, but not the same kind that Megatron had in mind when the Great War first began. He had to do whatever it takes to ensure that the Decepticons would reign supreme in Area 11. While they were superior in terms of sheer ferocity and firepower, they have not reached a point yet where their dominance would be assured. This was due to the fact that resistance was fiercer than originally anticipated, and Cornelia proved herself a formidable opponent on the field of battle. He had trouble trying to shake off the fact that his ascension to power was so close within his grasp, yet it continually eludes him.

"That mission with the viceroy was a disaster," Starscream groaned, slamming both of his fists on the table in the monitor room. "And to make matters worse, the Autobots themselves have taken Reinfield prisoner."

"It's because of the Black Knights, yes?" Arkeville said.

"Yes, because those accursed terrorists interfered with the operation. Whatever Zero wanted with Cornelia ruined our efforts in this region. We need to eliminate her quickly and install a puppet in her place so we can assume control and retain dominance over this colony's resources."

Arkeville stroked his chin, running off the checklists from the cargo trucks that arrived from Narita. "Well, we still have the capsules that he sent us from the mountains, including the research."

"Even so, Cornelia represents a considerable threat to our agenda here."

"What do you want to do about Zero?"

"He's next after we remove her," Starscream assured himself. "Provided we can find him first. That human is nothing but another obstacle to our expansion."

Nodding, Arkeville offered his point of view that caught the audio receptors of the Seeker. "Well, based on the information given by our contacts within the government, it looks like the viceroy will be launching another operation to capture General Katese. Hence, it is very likely that Zero will come after her."

The aerospace commander raised one of his optics, giving an amused look. "Oh?"

Rousing the Decepticon's interest, the former cybernetics chief pointed towards a specific location that stood out as a red dot on the holographic display of the Earth. "Our sources within the government bureau have informed me that the Japan Liberation Front still has several cells operating throughout Area 11 under the command of General Katase and Tohdoh. While Tohdoh himself is currently in hiding, they believe that the general will head out to the Ryukyu Isles via cargo ship."

"What's so significant about the islands?" Starscream inquired.

Arkeville "Apparently, it once served as a fueling station and supply point for diesel-electric submarines. As far as we know, it's been abandoned for more than a decade. Katase knows this, and will retreat there while he still has the chance."

"If we leave the JLF alone for too long, they will come back."

"They are still too weak after the Narita skirmish. They do not pose a threat to us," Arkeville concluded, crossing his arms. "Though I have to admit, the JLF is quite persistent in its resistance against the imperials."

"It's to be expected of them," Starscream finished, analyzing the escape route that General Katase would be traveling. "While Cornelia is focused on finishing off the Liberation Front, we will position the Insecticons' Swarmers via our trade ships rerouted from Hong Kong into the docking port before her attack commences. By the time the Britannians begin their operation, we will launch a multi-pronged assault against her command unit at Yokosuka. Once we have surrounded the target, we will slay her and her advisors, thereby collapsing their command structure and allowing us to proceed with the takeover of the local government unchallenged."

"An intriguing plan. Though surely the imperialists predict that you will come after her again," the former cybernetics chief said.

"Indeed. Only this time the advantage will be ours. The Britannians have lost a substantial amount of their army, and they possess no means in which to detect the Swarmers coming at them until it's too late," Starscream said with a twisted smile as he clenched a fist. "Cornelia will be right where I want her. Once she lands into our trap, we'll finish the viceroy and her entourage in one fell swoop alongside Zero. And my path to leadership of the Decepticons will be assured."  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technolgies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike conducted another run through the factory to help clear his head. For him it was his personal stress reliever, after thoroughly torturing the leading researcher of the mutagenics project in Narita. He felt no need to offer an apology for what he did.  
While civilians and other government officials would gasp at the sight of his actions or criticize him as a bully, there was no denying that he fights for the safety of his people regardless of political and ethical disposition.

One thing he credited the Decepticons for was that facsimiles were well-made, perfectly mimicking humans in terms of biological functions to the point that they were almost indistinguishable from regular humans. It was that fact that he exploited their manufacture as a weakness, since the facsimiles were just as vulnerable as regular humans. After breaking several of Reinfield's fingers earlier to force him to talk, the clone scientist spilled all the information he knew like a can of worms. Spike discovered that the man's knowledge of the Code-R project was extensive, that he worked under the auspices of General Bartley who acted as a sponsor for the operation and also commanded the forces that attacked the Autobots when they first arrived.

He thought back on the meeting he had earlier during his run. After hours of deliberation with Jazz and Prowl, the latter conceded to allow the Americans to assist in crippling Decepticon activity in the area. After the last encounter with Starscream's troops, they were going to need all the personnel they can muster against them.

Breathing steadily, Spike continued his way along his run path until he spotted Jazz talking with Marissa as they worked on stockpiling up on munitions and supplies for the Autobot troops and NSA field agents.

"So I called 'em up and Milly said they couldn't make it," the special ops lieutenant said to Marissa.

"What's wrong, Jazz?" Spike asked.

The white Porsche turned towards his friend with a solemn face. "Bad news. A friend of ours lost her father."

The mention of the word 'father' caught the SEAL commander's ears. "Friend?"

"Yeah. Her name's Shirley Fenette."

Spike heard the name before he made the connection. "Wait a sec, Fenette? As in the daughter of Joe Fenette? The same man we talked about back at Omotesando?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, same dude," Jazz said. "Apparently during the Britannians' siege against the Japanese forces the city got caught up in a mudslide. There were a lot of casualties that day, including the civilians. He just happened to fall into the list of victims."

Frowning, Spike looked for a workbench to sit down on and placed himself near a stool positioned next to a toolbox. "That's not good. Me and Nightbeat were going to hit up downtown to meet with him again." The SEAL leaned against the rails, sporting a somber expression. "We just lost another source of information... What was he doing there?"

"Apparently he was running an errand for the government mining sakuradite before Cornelia's assault started," Nightbeat interjected after overhearing the conversation between the three comrades while he walked towards them. "Chip provided the details on the aftermath and I made the conclusion based on the imagery via hacking through the Britannian satellite network."

"How far are the rumors spreading?" Spike inquired to the inspector.

"Pretty wide. The government's trying to keep a very tight lid on what happened out there, but that doesn't seem to be working in their favor at the moment. The press is out and about asking a lot of questions. And I can tell you one thing: the local Britannian populace ain't happy. Several citizens lost their businesses during that fight and demanded reparations," the blue mech finished before he walked to his meeting with the deputy commander. "You'll have to excuse me, I have to have a little chat with Prowl."  
_ _ _

In another open section within the factory Chip typed furiously behind his laptop, disseminating intelligence as it is continually fed from Cosmos in high orbit into his terminal. While the analyst busied himself, Nightbeat walked alongside the deputy commander into the space. The human kept his eyes peeled to the screen but had his ears open.

"I wanted to clarify something in your report that you gave me earlier," Prowl said to the inspector. "During your investigation, you've founded traces of energon based on the energy emissions that caused the eruption. You're certain that the Black Knights are getting help?"

"Well, we do know that the Black Knights have access to energon-based weaponry, considering the traces of radiation that me, Mirage and Wheeljack discovered when we were at the summit of the Narita Mountains. Apparently the delivery system that was utilized to cause that landslide was purchased and manufactured from overseas. Chip hacked the computer files from a company called Xerxes Dynamics, which is a subsidiary of the Zeus Corporation," Nightbeat explained.

"Where are they based out of?" the expedition leader asked.

"Hong Kong." the chief inspector said.

"I also got something new for you. That device was designed by a woman named Rakshata Chawla," Chip added. "She's one of the leading scientists in Knightmare Frame research and development in the world. It is rumored that she created designs for a number of corporations, with one new KMF said to be completed and owned by the Black Knights. We don't have an ID on it yet."

"We need something more definitive and find out just exactly how many rods there are. If there are more of them out there, and I'm willing to bet there are quite a bit, we'll need to keep them from falling into the wrong hands," Nightbeat said.

Prowl stroked his chin and faced the Cybertronian detective. "Agreed. In that case, I need you to remain here for the time being and continue this investigation on the Black Knights' support. Meanwhile, I need you to get ready for an overseas trip. You'll be working with Marissa and Chip on this operation."

"Got something rolling in that processor of yours?" the chief inspector asked his colleague.

"Yeah, you'll be paying a visit to Hong Kong."

Nightbeat formed a thin line on his mouth. "Oh?"

"Cosmos has been detecting a lot of activity in that area. Right now Chip is already working finding a means of transportation to get you there unnoticed," the deputy commander explained, knowing the full danger of which the mission entails.

"Are you sure you want to leave without us?" the detective asked of him.

"We have enough resources in which to disrupt enough of the Decepticons' activity in this region. With reinforcements on the way it should help level the playing field."

"In that case, I'm on the job," Nightbeat smiled, knowing that he would be getting his fair share of thrills elsewhere.  
_ _ _

**Security Vault  
Lukas International Main Laboratory, Tokyo Settlement**

Having a private moment to himself, Starscream took a moment to walk into what would be considered his personal office, in an enclosed space where none would be able to enter. Motion sensors were installed by facsimiles and clones should the slightest discrepancy in the space.

"Computer, unlock the seal. Voice authorization code: Starscream."

"Access granted, disengaging " a computerized voice replied.

Inside, the Golden Disk shined a bright yellow hue. An object which Shockwave prized greatly, one that Starscream happened upon by chance after the disappearance of the former operations commander and his forces. The Seeker had originally sealed the Disk inside the safe to keep any outsiders from tampering with the it. Only he had the encryption codes required to open it, the opening ciphers stored inside within an engram of his neural processor. Soundwave would have to pick it clean in order to gleam it out of him, but he had a failsafe that would delete the code to prevent anyone but himself access to the safe.

_Soon I will claim leadership of the Decepticons. I am in command, it is time to take what is rightfully mine_, the flyer thought fiendishly.

"Starscream, the troops are ready to move," Razorclaw called through his comm line.

The aerospace commander flashed a fiendish smile. "Excellent. All flyers, head towards the launch bay. Razorclaw, take your troops and load them up onto the vehicles. And inform the Insecticons to prepare the Swarmers. We're going to do this job until we get it right! No failures this time!"

After he finished the transmission, Starscream placed the Golden Disk back inside the safe where it would remain hidden once again.

"Since the stakes have risen, I will increase my wager."  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

The Lambo twins walked through the halls of the lowest floor, part of which Drift took as his own personal training hall. Both bots were divided on whether to pursue the issue of sparring with him in order to improve themselves or simply do what they do best once they go on the next mission.

"You're seriously considering us practicing with him?" Sunstreaker asked in a mocking tone.

"Who better than Drift? He studied under Master Yoketron himself," the red twin emphasized. Yoketron was once a member of the Cybertronian council that led the Iaconian assembly before the collapse of the central government and the rise of the Decepticon insurgency. It was also known among political and spiritual circles around that he is quite possibly the most powerful martial artist on the planet, renowned for his fighting prowess unequaled.

"He's a bit of a sketchy character. He may be with us but I still don't trust him," the yellow twin said.

"Even after all the times he fought with us to save the Earth in our universe?" Sideswipe reasoned.

"Yes."

"You're too difficult at times."

"Says you," Sunstreaker argued. "We shouldn't ask for help for anybody."

Sideswipe founded his brother's logic to be flawed, due to the fact that his ego was wounded after being swiftly defeated by Razorclaw. Alongside Drift, they were the best in terms of close quarters combat. If they wanted to be of further use in the battles ahead, they needed to change how they handled themselves in fighting hand-to-hand. Who better to ask than the former Decepticon who studied the teachings of one of most ancient figures in Cybertronian history?

"You two wanted to see me?" Drift said to the pair, his optics pointed towards the space in front of him. He was in a kneeling position. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker remained very aware of the fact that among the Autobots of the expedition, he possessed a martial prowess unique among a small number of Cybertronians. Whoever passed under the tutelage of Yoketron was known to be dangerous in terms of melee combat.

"Yeah, we wanted to improve our fighting," Sideswipe said.

"There are many things to improve," the white mech pointed out.

Upon hearing that, the red twin followed through with his explanation. "Well, after that stint with the Preds back in Narita I figured that we could use a little improving in how we brawl."

"Alright then, show me," Drift offered. He stood up and turned towards the twin brothers assuming a defensive posture. The two brothers wasted no time waiting. Both rushed forth and attacked the blademaster with a flurry of attacks, all of them deflected with a combination of parrying and evasive maneuvers. The yellow twin slid with a sweeping kick which Drift evaded and counterattacked with a foot to the faceplate.

Sunstreaker kipped back onto his feet and joined the red twin who relentlessly fought against the cyber-ninja with his fists in conjunction with his brother. Both siblings were agile, but not quite to the level that Drift is. Seeking out any weaknesses that could be exploited, the two siblings altered their fighting patterns and engaged their opponent on both sides. Drift sensed their movements beforehand, parrying their attacks as he fired up his jump jets in a spinning kick motion. Sideswipe was the first to land onto the ground, as his chassis clanged loudly against the floor. Sunstreaker ended up with the same fate.

"How did you do that?" The red twin asked, where everything he saw looked like a blur to him.

Drift placed one of his hands on his hip and raised a finger. "It took me thousands of stellar cycles to perfect my fighting style, which I continue to refine on a regular basis."

Sideswipe remained flat on his back, defeated. Drift offered a hand to bring the red twin back onto his feet, where the two warriors faced each other optic-to-optic.

"I'm going to be honest with you, you two are very good fighters. But you have one weakness that stands out."

"What's that?"

"You're used to fighting as a pair and train through routines which have been ingrained into your programming. But you don't have a concept of handling the unorthodox quite like I do," Drift explained. "Thus, it would be difficult to expunge what you've already unto yourselves. I can, however, assist the two of you to incorporate part of my fighting techniques into your own styles," the blademaster offered. "That is, if you're willing to work with me."

"Is this out of pity?" Sunstreaker shot out, checking for dents on his chassis.

Drift simply smiled. "Not entirely."

Sunstreaker kept frowning at the white ninja-bot. Never comfortable with the prospect of his ego being wounded, he felt defeated inside but kept his head up high. Both he and Sideswipe understood that Drift was a regular when it came to the Cybertronian arts. His techniques had a mysterious quality that defied explanation. When thoughts translated into action, the results were undeniable.

Their training session came to an abrupt halt as Jazz called the three Autobots up since he was standing outside the door as a spectator.

"I hate to interrupt your training session, but Prowl wants us to mobilize now. It looks like we're going to be skirmishing against the 'Cons again."

"Never a dull moment in this lifetime," Sideswipe sighed. He and his twin followed the special ops agent as the three strode down through the hallway, with Drift following not too far behind.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Subterranean Lab  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

In the same chamber where Starscream and Arkeville conferred when conducting infiltration operations, Soundwave descended towards a secret access point where an important individual was kept in cryogenic stasis. He navigated through the halls and was greeted by the leader of the Constructor squad, who were the replacements for the Constructicons after the separation of the Decepticon forces stellar cycles ago.

Hammer replaced Hook as the chief engineer of special projects for the Decepticon army in Japan. Despite the fact that the he and his colleagues in the squad being miniature in size compared to that of the Constructicon brethren, their contribution to keeping the main headquarters from being discovered was undeniable.

"Soundwave, what an expected surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Is he still online?" the communications officer asked.

"Yes, his body remains in a dormant state. His processor can still hear and speak as though he's online."

"Open the chamber," Soundwave ordered.

"As you wish," Hammer said.

The engineer obeyed and activated the gate to allow access. Through the cold and dark space that led to the C.R. chamber of a long dormant Cybertronian that fought as a competitor when gladiatorial games . Fog from the suspension liquid that kept the being preserved for more than ten years spilled out into the ground.

When the Decepticons were defeated years ago, Soundwave took it upon himself to safeguard the one individual who would bring them to glory again. The small caches of sakuradite taken from the mines at Mount Fuji, in conjunction with sizable quantities of ore-13, were secretly fed into the C.R. chamber from overhead cables. Numerous measures were placed carefully to keep Starscream from discovering what was hidden inside the lab.

"Greetings, my lord," the Decepticon comm officer said as he knelt down in respect. The Cybertronian within the C.R. chamber remained in a state of suspension after the Decepticons' defeat stellar cycles ago. Soundwave waited for the moment in which he would awaken the one individual that forged an insurgent movement into the most fearsome and devastating army the galaxy has ever known. That time would be not be too far off, as a dark red holographic projection of the mechanoid's head materialized in front of the chamber.

"Soundwave, my most loyal subject…"

"I bring news of our campaign."

"How goes our progress?"

"We have successfully managed to seize control of the majority of the human imperialists' resources. However, we have a problem."

There was no reaction from the entity. "Explain."

"Starscream has accelerated the infiltration protocol faster than what you originally intended. The Autobots are also here."

Sensing a shift in the being's tone, Soundwave knew displeasure when he heard it.

"Where is the air commander now?"

"He has already departed to assassinate the viceroy once more."

"These failures are intolerable."

Soundwave nodded to the statement. "Indeed, what do you want us to do?"

The red holographic projection of the entity disappeared. Cables that connected into the C.R. chamber where the being slept in cryogenic stasis popped out from top to bottom. The door that held it locked hissed as the mechanisms that kept it hidden broke free, as the tall mech emerged from within. Its armor gleamed in light as it flexed its digits, energies cackling through its fists. Both of its optics glowed bright red, suggesting murderous intent.

"Summon the Insecticons and have our agents in Hong Kong transport them immediately to Area 11 by aircraft. Starscream has gone far beyond the parameters of his orders."

After years of dormancy, he walks once more. Soon, Starscream and Britannia will suffer the wrath of Megatron.

**End of Chapter 19**

* * *

****

Author's Note:

Throughout the various continuities there have been different Megatrons. The one that I had in mind voicing the Megatron for this fic is none other than Corey Burton, who voiced Megatron in the Animated continuity.

The training between the twins and Drift are influenced by the fighting between Jazz and Razorclaw from the former's Spotlight issue, as well as philosophy from martial arts master Bruce Lee, where he advocated spontaneity in hand-to-hand combat and the philosophy of 'the only limitation is no limitation'. While the Cybertronian martial arts have pretty much been set in stone since the Transformers' Marvel comics run, there has been no definitive articles into what is actually practiced within the fighting arts in question, only the users and what means of combat they'd prefer using.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	25. Chapter 20 The Arrival, Part 1: Wrath

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Yokosuka becomes another battleground between the forces of the Autobots, the Britannians, the Decepticons and the Black Knights. **

This chapter takes place in episode 13 of Code Geass R1.

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Arrival, Part 1: Wrath**

**Nav Point Alpha  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

The time for her revenge was at hand. She would not be denied any longer and would wipe out the people responsible for the deaths of Clovis, Lelouch and Nunnally.

"All teams are moving into position, Your Highness."

Taking the lessons learned when she was a commander of Empress Marianne's royal guard, Cornelia learned to tread lightly when it came to dealing with superior enemies. She spent many hours running tactical drills and simulations in different combat scenarios. Practice itself only proved so good as to sharpen one's talent, but lacked the realism of actual combat. This moment was the culmination of venting her frustrations to the people who killed her siblings.

"Darlton, are our forces ready?" Cornelia asked of the general, confident in his reply.

"They're in position and awaiting your order, Your Highness," he radioed to her.

She closed her eyes shut for a moment and exhaled before she gave her next command. "Commence with the operation."

"As you wish, princess. Begin combat operations now!" Darlton said.

Once she green lighted the mission, Cornelia turned to her knight in his own Gloucester. "Guilford, keep your units dispersed. I have a feeling that our flying guests will come for me. Are the anti-air batteries ready?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Excellent. The instant you see those aircraft coming in, blow them out of the sky."

The AA missiles carried by the contingent of Gloucesters assigned under Guilford's command were specially designed to track enemy contacts painted by modified phosphorus rounds. The concept of phosphorus grenades predated the era in which they were used to highlight affected targets. All they had to do was paint the target in the substance and they'd be lit up like lamp posts. While she did not expect the enemy fighters to land, she anticipated that they would attack. The imperial F-23s that were already in the air kept watch above Cornelia's ground forces to keep their 'visitors' from surprising them.

"Where are you, you butcher?" she gritted, itching to wipe out the flying Knightmare she met at Narita Mountains off the face of the Earth as payback for the loss of her men.  
_ _ _

**Dockyards  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

Kallen leaned forward towards her knees while sitting on the ground. She founded herself at the crossroads of whether to pursue the fight any further or simply walk out. After speaking earlier with Zero about the battle back at Narita, she chose the latter. She was confidant at that time, but that was unto itself only a facade to mask her true worries.

After attending the funeral of Shirley's father, she was forced to live with the fact that she was the one that pulled the trigger and ended the lives of hundreds of people. An unexpected consequence, one that will stay with her for the rest of her life. At the time she hid her emotions, but the reality stabbed her through the heart like a knife. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she lost her father in the same way, though the pain would be equally just as heavy as Shirley's.

While she continued to ponder her actions a concerned Ohgi spotted her as he strode by to inspect the Black Knights' KMFs before they sortied.

"Kallen, what's wrong?"

"I've been doing some thinking," the half-breed said.

"About what?" Ohgi asked, confused yet curious at the same time.

"About our motives. About our war against Britannia."

In his mind, this did not bode well. The Black Knights needed their star player in the game. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She leaned against her knees, her mind contemplative. The truth of the situation struck her thoughts like a hammer. Although she and Shirley weren't exactly close, since the latter had a tendency to jump to conclusions before understanding how things really stood, they were comfortable enough in each other's company to know that each was trustworthy enough to confide in. "Not really."

Ohgi knew that something bothered Kallen not too long after the battle with the imperial forces at Narita. In place of Naoto, he played the big brother role for more years than he could count due to the elder Kouzuki's absence. He sat alongside her as they both faced the sea, which remained calm in its composure and oblivious to the war that's about to happen."You know you can trust me, right?"

"Yes I know but -"

"Then talk to me, what's bothering you?"

Kallen grew hesitant to give her answer. "A friend of mine lost her father."

"How well do you know her?"

"She goes to the same school as I do," the redhead said finally.

This new discovery somewhat disturbed Ohgi. While he didn't know any of his colleague's schoolmates, the fact that this woman that Kallen spoke of appeared to be someone close was reason enough to warrant his concern. In so vital a mission as the one they were about to undertake, the team couldn't afford a liability at such a critical time. So he acted accordingly to the situation at hand like the surrogate brother she knew him to be.

"Come on, there must be something you want to talk about."

The feeling turned to be mutual. He disapproved of the Britannian rule, much like the other Japanese within the Black Knights. In his mind he remained suspicious of Zero's tactics. But the vigilante stood as their one hope to bringing Japan back to its status as an independent nation. In all of the times they've fought together, the tension within the organization's leadership remained high. Perhaps the man would reveal his identity one day, though that chance remained slim at best.

"I'm not certain about us anymore. Zero says that we're fighting for justice, but I have trouble seeing it that way..." she explained to him. Rather than chastising her about her own issues, he placed his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"Kallen, I know this is difficult. I would feel the same way if I were in your position. Zero's got smarts, I'll give him that, but he can't fight without you. _We_ can't do this without you. And right now we need your help more than ever. Can you fight with us?"

"Alright, I'll do it."

"I know we can count on you," Ohgi said while patting her on the back. "Be seeing you out in the field."

Kallen rose up on her feet and stretched her arms over her head before she walked towards her Guren to prepare for combat. **  
**_ _ _

Lelouch thought about Shirley briefly. He had no capability to bring the dead back to life. He tried to console her back at the cemetery where the student council attended her father's funeral service. Guilt weighed heavily on his conscious.

There was no turning back, too much blood has already been spilled. As Zero he said that he is fighting for the cause of justice. It was a feasible lie that had merit amidst a world of chaos, a world of deceptions.

Capturing Cornelia remained the ultimate objective. The truth was all that mattered to him. He had enough time to spare to ponder what happened seven years ago. The dream of his mother laying sprawled against Nunnally's body in a pool of blood.

He took a moment to use a few minutes to catnap, the hours finally taking their toll upon his mind. Lelouch rested uncomfortably for five minutes before he began hearing voices. As his eyes drooped open, he thought he saw an apparition of Marianne before his eyes. He extended his hand to reach out to her.

"Lelouch..." she called out.

"Mother?" Lelouch said tearfully, fingers stretched as he tried to grasp her hand. Soon after Ohgi's voice broke him out of his stupor. The apparition disappeared and he saw the instruments within his cockpit. The monitors were off, and the air inside felt cold, despite his attire.

"Zero, are you there? All teams are in position," Ohgi repeated.

Lelouch shook his head momentarily from his daze. "Alright, we'll wait until the time is right. In the meantime, stand by until I give the signal."

He glanced at the chess piece he kept hidden in his attire. A black king, which suited his persona: hiding within the shadows while leaving most of the dirty work to his comrades. After all, he made it a point that he would one day hold dominion over the entire world. It was symbolic only to him due to his strong attachment to it after receiving it as a gift in his youth. The plastic chess piece that he held was his very first one since he lived in Pendragon. Playing all those games against his older brothers Schneizel and Clovis brought back memories. After contemplating the past, he locked the piece in a firm grip. Some things were simply meant to be buried, but he was far from letting the past go.

**Britannian Airspace  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp flew in formation at low altitude, confident that they were not detected. While they roamed the skies above, Razorclaw, the Predacons and Blitzwing positioned themselves in different sections of the dockyards prior to the arrival of the Britannian forces.

The Seeker remained well-aware that Cornelia was intent on crushing the resistance forces that remained in Japan. He couldn't allow it to continue any further, simply because it would be an inconvenience to their operation in this colony. Create a little mayhem, and the humans will be too preoccupied with their own conflict to face the real threat at hand.

[Razorclaw, where are your troops now?] the air commander asked.

[We are positioned in different storage houses in the dockyards. We also have the Swarmers ready to strike on your command.]

The three jets continued to circle around the area, as Starscream checked his chronometer and waited patiently until they began their operation. He hoped that the Insecticons' new creations would be sufficient enough to overtake the port and achieve a quick victory. As countdown finished, the chronometer beeped loudly prompting the air commander to his next course of action. It was time to spring the trap.

[Release the Swarmers now.]

When Starscream gave the command, Razorclaw transmitted a signal that subconsciously activated the Swarmers from cryogenic stasis. The creatures were brought in cold storage from Hong Kong by Lukas International cargo vessels. After staying dormant for a long period of time, they have finally awakened.

In one of the underground shelters hidden under the dockyards where they have been kept, the Insecticon Swarmers crawled out of their spaces out into the open. They weren't as intelligent as standard Decepticon warriors, but they were just as deadly.

Worst of all, they were on the prowl, searching for victims of which to feed upon and infect. And they were hungry for fleshlings. Luckily for them, there were more than enough Earthlings throughout the dockyards to consume.

**Storage Warehouse 14  
Yokosuka, Area 11**

Spike and his Third Echelon field operatives kept themselves hidden for a few hours ahead of Prowl and Jazz's assault teams. A concerted effort would be required from all of their teams if they were to disrupt the real threat in this world. The Britannians were preoccupied, but Spike decided to give one last rundown of their op before they moved any further.

"Alright guys, listen up. The Autobots have traced several naval vessels ferrying cargo back and forth to Hong Kong. We've identified four of these ships based on their paths and manifests," Spike said as he kept the GPS map in front of the group. While Cosmos flew in high orbit miles above from the Autobot/American team's location, numerous tracks of unidentified contacts dotted the landscape.

The NSA unit consisted of only eight operatives. This time around they would be present to assist their Cybertronian allies in the skirmish. Among the group of Americans that volunteered for the mission was Farmer and Delacruz, both who worked with Spike in the Lake Kawaguchi, Silver Pearl and Narita operations, with Dobbes joining the group in their foray.

Agent Dobbes was one of the newcomers that volunteered to join the expedition prior to their arrival in Area 11, who provided auxiliary tech support alongside Chip back at HQ. Spike decided to bring him along due to his field experience when the latter still worked under the FBI's Special Response Team, the equivalent of the U.S. Army's Delta Force and Navy SEALs.

"These are the targets that we're after," he explained further, pointing to the green-white blobs highlighted on the GPS. On the grid blue dots illuminated friendly forces, while yellow and red showed up respectively as unknown and enemy contacts. "For the past several weeks, the _Treyer_, the _Miranda Bay_, the _Olympic_, and the _Kellion_ have ferried supplies from Hong Kong to Japan and back. Since Arkeville and Starscream have been reliant on them, it is imperative that we take those ships out. Doing so would significantly cripple the enemy to re-supply themselves from their overseas facilities. However, this mission does not come without risk."

Spike clicked on the GPS annotating the positions of the mercenaries working under the rogue CIA agent's employ. The map was illustrated in a grid-layout, with dots blanketing the entire screen. Prowl's team was represented on the map as blue, while hostile forces belonging to the Britannians were shown as red. Other hostiles were marked as orange on the display, with their four target objectives bearing that color along with a brighter luminosity which differentiated them from the other contacts in the area.

"Cosmos has provided us satellite coverage of the region within a 200 kilometer radius. Lukas International has plenty of personnel disguised as imperial forces, and they got the piers locked nice and tight, so we'll have to proceed carefully when picking them off," the SEAL commander said. "Take a look and memorize the positions."

As soon as the group finished studying the map, Farmer gave his commentary on the layout of the mission. "Talk about overkill. This place is crawling with hostiles all over."

"Yeah, apparently after the fight back at Narita the Liberation Front's been on the defensive. Based on our current intel, their leader, General Katase is escaping to another location on board the _Ishimura_," Spike reasoned. "The Britannian forces will focus their efforts on taking them out. With that in mind, the likelihood of which the Decepticons will attack are high. We will use this opportunity with which to sink the ships."

One of the other agents named Kelly spoke out in opposition: "Sir, if I may ask again why exactly are we sticking out our necks to protect the Britannians?"

Though the men could not see his expression, they sensed that the man's question drew the ire of the SEAL: "In a sense, we're not. We're here to take down Arkeville and his operation. The Autobots may not want us to harm them, but we do not have the luxury. If push comes to shove, take them out."

"We can sweep in on the north and plant the C-4s from there. It'll cripple the Decepticons' supply runs." Farmer suggested.

Each member conducted checks on their firearms before they deployed into the field. All of them were equipped with different weapons, ranging from MP5 SD submachine guns, SPAS-12 tactical shotguns, and M4 carbines with grenade launchers to portable anti-tank weapons. In the event that they encountered any opposition along the way, they would make enough of a dent in the Britannian or Decepticon armor column to peel out and disappear into the shadows.

"Activate your heartbeat sensors, and watch for enemy movement. Be sure to avoid the Decepticons if they show up. Prowl's got them covered for the time being."

The addition to the heartbeat sensors in their inventory gave them an extra tactical advantage, since the sensors were designed to track biological contacts that were within proximity.

"Everyone set?" the SEAL asked.

Spike saw nods all around him. Sheathing his combat knife, he took out his silenced pistol and cocked it. It felt like an NFL lineup, and they were about to put on another show that'll leave the enemy scratching their heads.

"Alright, put your game faces on and let's go!"

Prowl parked behind one of the storage warehouses lined across the piers, leading several other Autobots into the area. Jazz moved alongside him with the twins in tow before the rest of the Cybertronians stopped and transformed into robot mode. Spike called through an encrypted comm link that tied the Autobots and Americans together on a tactical net.

"Yes?"

"Prowl, my team's moving towards the targets now. We should be able to finish this op in thirty."

"Copy, we'll be keeping watch for the time being," the deputy commander said. Keeping a careful optic on the sensor feeds from Cosmos, the Autobot strategist remained cautious of the dangers ahead.

**Command Ship **_**Trion  
**_**In Orbit Near Earth's Moon**

A task force of Autobot starships, consisting of supply vessels, frigates, cruisers, and an assortment of other spacecraft assembled near the Earth's moon in their universe. In the center of the formation was Omega Supreme, the last of the Omega Sentinels and the only one manufactured with a spark. Thus, he possessed a degree of autonomy and independence which his brethren lacked.

And with that independence followed many centuries of knowledge rooted within the depths of his core processor. He has lived for millions of stellar cycles ever since he first came on-line. In times of peril, he would serve as the last line of defense should the Autobots fail, or at least an extreme response to whatever measures the Decepticons would employ.

The _Trion_ served as the capital ship of the Wreckers and Optimus Prime's command vessel. Fifteen ships total, the majority of them armed for space combat. In addition, they also had enough weaponry to level cities. Their fighting capabilities (along with Omega Supreme's) would not be put into play unless the fighting deemed it necessary to intervene. Optimus prayed that the fighter and ground squadrons would be enough to control the area and secure the dockyards.

"Fleet Command to all ships, stand by for transwarp jump," Prime ordered.

"_Torisi-Yau_, standing by."

"_Jolan_ and _Forager_ ready to move out."

"Transwarp drive at full power, sir," Hound said behind his console. "All other ships have reported that they are ready to initiate transwarp."

Optimus nodded. "Initiate transwarp now."

The fleet of Autobot ships faded into bursts of light, making their voyage towards a war-torn region with enemies on all sides.

**Dockyards  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

Cornelia observed from a distance as her troops decimated the Japanese with relative ease. While the JLF would not be entirely destroyed, it would be a devastating blow to their morale. Not interested in giving any quarter, the attacking Sutherlands attacking with their micro-ordnance to kill the guards on the main deck of the tanker that Katase was on.

"Your troops may still be alive, Katase. It'll only be a matter of time before their spirit will be broken."

"Second wave of Marines launching attack." one of the field officers informed. The operation progressed smoothly as she had anticipated. All that would soon change.

While the Knightmare element led by Major Powell continued their barrage against the cargo vessel, the Marines underwater launched torpedo attacks that gradually damaged the ship. The JLF were hopelessly outnumbered just like before, with the possibility of escape turning to be more unlikely as the situation worsened.

Suzaku felt torn at the sight of his own people being slaughtered. He understood things when it came to obeying orders, but he didn't have the courage to stop his allies from continuing on their current path.

"This is the Japan Liberation Front, we surrender!" one of the _Ishimura_ soldiers yelled.

"Sir, they're sending their surrender on an open channel!"Suzaku said, trying to plead with his commander. During the foray Cecile called up via vid-link.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, I know this is difficult. But you're a soldier!"

Suzaku watched helplessly as the imperials continued their ruthless assault against the guardsmen on board the general's cargo ship.

"Yes, I understand," Suzaku said as he spotted something in the air. Three aircraft flew in tight formation. "Major, there's something in the sky."

"What could be so important as to call me for a trivial thing that has nothing to do with this mission?"

"I see three unidentified contacts above us by least three thousand meters. They're going around in a circle above us."

"They're friendlies," one of the captains explained. "The viceroy's assigned fighter detail to provide air cover for us."

"They seem awfully close to be watching, don't you think?" Suzaku wondered.

"Unit four to Command: unidentified contacts coming in from the east and the west, they're –- GAH!" one pilot cried out before his transmission was cut off.

"Monsters, they're everywhere!" called another pilot.

_Monsters_? Suzaku thought, thinking the pilot that reported it to be delusional. What he saw with his own eyes proved otherwise, as a small number of insectoid machines revealed themselves before the empire's army.

How they managed to even sneak through without being detected surprised him. All Suzaku could think of now was fending off the incoming hostiles as they advanced onward in a rush against his team. He had the Lancelot under his grip as he drew both of its swords and prepared for the onslaught ahead.

The force of the explosion rocked the dockyards.Shirley was in her school uniform, far away from the battle where the Britannians were fighting against their enemies. Viletta Nu told her that the possibility remained of Lelouch being one of the Black Knights after her father's funeral procession. It took a bit for the words themselves to sink in mind. That idea unto itself sounded too preposterous for her to believe.

Shirley wanted to turn back. She wanted to forget that she ever got into this venture, knowing that it would be too dangerous. It even introduced the possibility of her getting killed.

_Lulu couldn't possibly be one of the Black Knights, could he_? she wondered. She had to seek out the truth for herself.

Kallen seated herself within the cockpit of her Guren. The current battle felt like Narita all over again. She shared a suspicion with Zero that the enemy forces that attempted to kill Cornelia would do so again. She only hoped that whatever Zero had planned for their adversaries would work.

"Listen carefully: since Cornelia is focused on wiping out the Liberation Front, she will be focusing the majority of her troops in taking out the defenders of the _Ishimura_. During that time, we will observe their movements carefully. When the time is right, we will strike."

"Shouldn't we be assisting them? They're in no position to fight against the Britannians with the numbers that they have, and neither are we," Ohgi said.

"No, if we launch our attack now, the element of surprise will be lost."

He never showed it, but there were times when Ohgi grew impatient during a combat situation. They were all eager to move in and capture her as Zero wanted, though they all asked themselves why the Black Knight leader wants her so badly, aside from crippling the military's morale and showing Britannia that it could be beaten.

All they could do now was wait and see.

In the center of the dockyards, a teleportation aperture opened. The first mech that emerged from the swirling nether was Astrotrain, a triple-changer that specialized in ferrying illegal goods and cargo.

Behind Astrotrain, a group of additional warriors materialized. Among them were the Insecticons, a horde of Swarmers, Soundwave and his minions. Most of all, one Cybertronian stood out among all of them, who would strike against the Britannian army with swift vengeance.

The group of Swarmers that were released earlier charged through the area with reckless abandon. Megatron deduced that their feral nature as killers prevented them to differentiate friend from foe unless they were tamed properly. One of them attacked Megatron dead-on. No verbal communication was required to let the creatures know who was in charge as the warlord slammed a fist into it, smashing its core processor into pieces. The pecking order was firmly reestablished.

Butfirst he would punish the one who constantly defied him. The one who plotted behind his back and attempted to steal the reins of leadership from him. What better way than to make an example out of Starscream?

"Hear me, my loyal servants! Your leader has returned amongst you once again!"

Starscream evaded the missiles from below with all his skill. The fierce amount of effort from the Britannian forces led by Cornelia didn't surprise him any more, since he knew beforehand that the princess would put up a fight as expected.

He transformed back into robot mode and widened his optics at the object of his worst fears. There Megatron stood far below, but not out of sight of the Decepticon leader. The warlord appeared to be more than irate, and it didn't take much to know why.

"No! Not you!" Starscream said in disbelief.

His lips in a thin line, the Decepticon leader kept his sights on the ire of his frustrations. He balled his fists, red optics darting straight at the aerospace commander.

"Now you shall suffer the consequences for overstepping your boundaries, Starscream," Megatron said as he energized his fusion cannon before unleashing a massive discharge. The beam of energy gathered in his primary weapon lanced into the sky, piercing a hole in the flyer's torso. Fragments of plating blew off as the Seeker fell in a downward spiral before he splashed down into the sea.

"Megatron's back!" Skywarp harped to his fellow flyer.

Thundercracker widened his gaze. "He's here, right now?"

"It's definitely him," the black-purple Seeker confirmed. Both changed into robot mode, as Skywarp dragged his partner and teleported them both to Megatron's location. The Decepticon leader gave no reaction to their arrival.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, how nice of you to join us."

"It's good to have you back, bo -" Skywarp began before Megatron aimed his fusion cannon towards the aerial fighter.

"Give me a good reason why I should not reduce you to slag."

Skywarp's processor went into overdrive. The warlord's glare towards him and his colleague turned to be very discomforting. He searched for an excuse, any excuse, to keep Megatron from terminating them both. Although Thundercracker remained silent, he was in as much trouble as his comrade.

"We were coerced into working with Starscream! He threatened to turn us into scrap if we didn't obey him!"

Megatron remain unconvinced. "So, the question stands: do you serve Starscream? Or do you serve me?"

"Yes! We do!" Skywarp said, trying to keep from being punished for Starscream's own wrongdoings. He gave a sigh of relief as the Decepticon leader lowered his weapon down.

"Good," Megatron said before he turned and raised both of his hands high in triumph. "To me, my loyal Decepticons!" the warlord bellowed.

The Predacons gathered towards Megatron's location in unison. Thundercracker and Skywarp landed with Blitzwing onto the ground.

"We live to serve you, my lord," Razorclaw said, his Predacons kneeling before their true leader.

"That's what I wanted to hear," the warlord grinned.

"Our glorious leader has returned! All Hail Megatron!" Razorclaw shouted in full volume. All of the other Decepticons in proximity chanted the sentence repeatedly in unison

"Now, my first order of business..." Megatron said, retracting his hand into an energon-powered mace and swinging it on the head of a Britannian Sutherland that snooped on the gathering. It stood at full height and loosed a barrage of armor-piercing rounds against his armor, merely scratching it. "Insolent pest."

Razorclaw tilted his vision upwards towards the Decepticon warlord. "What is your command, sir?"

"Astrotrain, retrieve Starscream's body now and bring that traitorous scrapheap to me. The rest of you, attack and destroy anyone who dares to oppose the Decepticons! These humans may think they have this port under their control, but they will soon find that they are not as firmly in control as they are led to believe."

**Hangar Seven  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

The spectacle with Starscream's punishment caught the eyes (and optics) of the combating armies within proximity. Most notably the Autobot expedition leader.

"Please tell me that isn't who I think it is," Ratchet said with a sardonic tone.

Trailbreaker stared straight in the Decepticons' direction. "What in the Pit is he doing here?"

"I don't know. But I don't think he's interested in explanations right now," Prowl said.

"Fine by me. I've been waiting to beat down some Deceptichops!"

"Trailbreaker, stand back," Prowl ordered, holding the taller Autobot by the shoulder. He called up Mirage, who was perched on one of the crane towers scattered along the piers, cloaked from view.

[Mirage, are you in position?]

[Affirmative,] the intelligence agent said, who loaded up his photon sniper rifle upon the call.

[Megatron is in the area. Repeat: Megatron is in the area. Take him out as soon as you have him in sight.]

[Acknowledged,] was all he said.

"What in blazes are those things doing?" Lieutenant Finnegan asked, confused at what he was seeing. From what he saw it appeared to be some sort of gathering.

"I don't know. But if we take out their leader we might be able to put an end to this!"

Captain Becker said, sighting his anti-armor cannon towards the center of attention within the mass congregation. The company commander disengaged the safety and loosed a round into the middle of the group. Three shots struck the white-black machine in various spots of its body. Becker's mouth grew agape that his weapon didn't even scratch its armor.

"How naïve of you," the white mechanoid said. "To think that you have what it takes to best me. You will learn otherwise."

As it leveled its weapon in the direction of the pair, a burst of energy erupted towards them. Captain Jack Becker was vaporized in the blast, with a large section of the roof caught along with it.

"Jack!" Finnegan cried out, shocked at the loss of his comrade.

"Come forth. There is no point in trying to hide now. Go on, fight if you dare," it taunted, its weapon smoking fumes after the discharge.

"You bastard!" Finnegan roared as he jumped into the air and swung one of his stun tonfas against the adversary. Blocking the attack, it grabbed Finnegan by the front of his Sutherland's torso. The enemy machine charged its weapon again before it pierced through, killing the Britannian pilot instantly.

After the fumes cleared, it released the unmoving KMF from its grip onto the ground. Clearly, it was not pleased. It wanted nothing more the complete annihilation of all that crossed its path.

Perched high above and invisible from everyone in view, Mirage lowered his monocle on his right optic and sighted his targeting reticle towards the head of the Decepticon leader.

He waited for a moment until he founded an opportune moment to strike. The sniper hoped that if the shot wasn't enough to take him out, it would be enough to hurt him significantly. While the warlord preoccupied himself Once he locked onto Megatron, he fired a blast that rung and struck him dead center.

After taking the shot, Mirage watched through his monocle to see how extensive the damage was, until the smoke cleared.

The impact of the photon blast was felt, as it threw the Decepticon warlord into a temporary daze. It was minimized due to the ore-13 that ran through his internal systems. He shrugged off the attack like it was nothing and gave a sinister smile.

"So, the Autobots have decided to intervene. Thundercracker, Skywarp, find the interloper and destroy him!"

"Yes sir!" both said as they transformed and flew upward, hunting for the target that hid in the darkness of the port.

_Damn, no good_, Mirage cursed to himself. _Better relocate while I still have the chance._

[Mirage to Prowl, we got a problem.]

[What is it?]

[I managed to land a hit on Megatron, but he's still standing. That mech's got ore-13 running through his tubes.]

The intelligence agent heard his superior give a low growl before he answered back. [Withdraw and regroup to our location. We're going to need another plan of attack.]

[Acknowledged,] Mirage said, moving out back into the ground where shadows reigned.

Astrotrain flew at a high altitude with scanners at full intensity, searching for the traitor Starscream that nearly doomed the Decepticon operation on Earth. He changed into robot mode and darted his optics through the sea until he founded the familiar silhouette of the aerospace commander. He kept his rifle in front and initiated a systems scan to ensure there weren't any surprises waiting for him. After examining the damaged Seeker's chassis for a minute, noticing the crack in the torso where Megatron struck him. Satisfied with the results, he called back to the warlord whom the betrayer would have to answer to.

"Megatron, I've found Starscream. I'll be picking him up momentarily."

"Acknowledged. Bring him to me as I've instructed."

"Yes, sir," the cargo specialist replied, terminating his comm link. "The boss has got plans for you, Seeker: and believe me, it's not pleasant,"

Soon after, Astrotrain flexed the servos on his left hand outward as he reached to the downed Decepticon officer and grabbed him by his pauldron. He then dragged the damaged mechanoid out of the ocean and changed into shuttle mode, using his onboard tractor beam to ferry his cargo.

**Outer Dockyards  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11  
****  
**The situation changed into a complete 360 from earlier during the first phase of the action. A carefully crafted plan to finish off the resistance movement changed into a bid for survival. The Britannians were no longer in control of the tempo of their own operation.

"What in the hell are these things?" shouted one of the Sutherland operators.

"Get them off of me, get 'em off - AHHHHHHHH!" cried another pilot. Something out there was killing them.

"What's happening out there?" Cornelia said.

"I believe you have your own problems, princess," the one voice said. It sounded utterly sinister, so much to the point that it chilled her bones in that one instant when it called out to her. The princess turned to find that it was a massive white robot, with a purple facial decal on its torso. It bore some kind of massive energy weapon on its right forearm. It towered over her much like the mechanical lion that she fought back in Narita.

Cornelia's tone turned into one of frustration. "Just how many of you are there?"

"That is irrelevant, seeing as how your pathetic forces are no match for my legions," a voice declared.

"Identify yourself!"

The white-black mechanoid bowed in mock respect. "You may call me Megatron. Remember it well, because this is only the beginning of what I'm about to do to your people."

"Not if I have to say anything about it!" Cornelia said as she fired her slash harkens and lifted her jousting lance into the air. The white machine intercepted it before she could hit. She attempted to retract it, but the enemy robot held her weapon firmly in its grip. The amount of strength that the second princess attempted to exert through her thrust proved to be of no avail.

"Amusing, but far too superficial." Megatron said as he crushed the lance with his bare hands and kicked Cornelia's Gloucester right in the torso, which sent it flying into one of the storage warehouses.

Cornelia braced herself to the inevitable crash against one of the structures within the operations area. The sheer strength of her adversary shocked her to the core. She guessed that the kick itself made a dent into her torso, but she was relieved by the fact that she managed to survive the impact. Guilford rushed forth to aid his princess. "Your Highness, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Guilford, focus your attacks on the white Knightmare near our location!"

"Right. All teams, concentrate your fire on the large white KMF in center of the docks!" he ordered the group.

Guilford and his team of Gloucesters fired a barrage of rounds that bounced off Megatron's armor.

"Pathetic. My turn now," the white robot said.

Cornelia took up a defensive position alongside a group of Sutherlands and Gloucesters assigned to her personal guard. Guilford stood not too far behind in his KMF, sensing hopelessness in their current predicament unless they withdrew and regrouped. While the fighters that provided support against the aerial attackers held their own in the skies, the ground forces were pushed to their limit.

"Princess, we need to withdraw from this location! we are being overwhelmed!" Guilford advised. What started as a tactically feasible suggestion turned into a futile gesture at best. Pride took over logic in a continually unstable situation.

"No, I refuse to back out at a time like this! I won't allow these fiends to mock me any further! All units assigned to my group, relocate towards the rally point! We'll cut as many of these monsters down as we can!"

She took her KMF's assault rifle and shot straight into its head, where it exploded outward. Debris and fluids sprayed everywhere onto the ground.

"There's almost no end to them..." she whispered. As she finally saw it to be a hopeless situation, she decided to have her forces fall back to the G-1 base, since it is armed with sufficient defensive weaponry to ward off the insectoid attackers. "All forces, fall back to the command post! We will stand our ground there!"

**Central Dockyards  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11  
**

"TAKE COVER!" one of the Britannian soldiers shouted as the infantry scambled for protection against the onslaught of insect-like creatures that sprawled across the entire port. Their numbers seemed to be almost inexhaustible. Their drive into the defensive perimeters of the newly reformed formation of the human imperial army was a push and pull effort to repel the Insecticon attack. The bugs' diversion was enough to allow Megatron to wipe out the human column in one devastating attack.

He charged his fusion cannon and fired in the direction of the two incoming Sutherland squads. The blast cut a path through the hangars devastating all in its path. When the energy dissipated after it struck, all that remained was a massive line burnt into the ground, trailing smoke. It mattered little to him that the Swarmers were caught in the blast. He could task the Insecticons to make more.

"And you people are the dominant power in this world? How laughable."

"All Hail Britannia!"

The tides have turned. With their leader in the fray it would only be a matter of simply cleaning up the mess which Starscream made with his continued failures in the infiltration op. Soundwave walked to the warlord as the latter surveyed the damage he caused with his own power.

"The fight against the imperial and Autobot forces are going well."

"Let's not be too hasty. I have a feeling that the Autobots' allies are sneaking around to try and cripple us. Send a detachment of the Insecticons' Swarmers to hunt them down."

"What do you wish to do about the retreating imperialists my lord?" Soundwave asked.

It didn't take long before Megatron rendered his decision. "Pursue them. Kill every human that is hiding in the port but bring the human viceroy to me alive. I want her to see the annihilation of her homeland, beginning with my ascension to power once again."

Soundwave bowed in respect. "As you command, Megatron."

Wheeljack fired a several photon bursts at the incoming Swarmers. True to their nature, they attacked in large groups, unrelenting in their mission of dominance. Their basic programming drove them to infect or destroy anything in their path. The Insecticons truly created horrors to behold.

"Ironhide, we need to lure them into the next junction! I have a minefield set to cut down their numbers!"

"Will it be enough?"

"It's better than nothing!"

"Do it!"

Pulling out a remote, the engineer detonated the minefield within their line of sight. Adapted from his shoulder-launched shells, the explosives were placed in sections where they could do maximum damage against the oncoming swarm. When the Swarmers closed in towards the direction, the mines fired into several high-explosive filaments, tearing through their armor with ease.

"Let's get out of here, this space is too exposed," the Autobot security officer suggested.

"I'm inclined to agree."

Wheeljack turned around a corner and crashed with a clang against something metallic. His chassis was knocked down, leaving his vision buzzing with static.

"At last..." a voice called out.

Shaking his head to recover from his daze, Wheeljack looked up to find the leader of the Decepticons staring down upon him like a vulture. "The bane of my existence since the Great War began."

Wheeljack's optics widened in horror at the sight of the former gladiator. Megatron clutched onto the Lancia by the neck as he kept him high above the ground.

"Don't think I've forgotten about how you Autobots defeated our forces in battle," the warlord stated, flexing his digits. "I've been waiting for more than ten stellar cycles to pay you back."

"Guhh," Wheeljack muttered weakly, still feeling Megatron's grip to his vocalizer. He felt something pop out, as the warlord used his strength to tear off the engineer's arm. Energon spurted from the socket while Wheeljack yelled in agony.

"Well, if it ain't the big Megatron himself," Ironhide drawled. The Decepticon leader released the engineer from his grip and fought the security officer in hand-to-hand combat. It didn't take long before he defeated the red Autobot, and smashed his helmet with a whack from his energon-powered mace. His minions saw the result of his handiwork and cheered him on.

"All Hail Megatron!"

"Bring the Autobot intruders with us," the warlord commanded to Thundercracker and Skywarp. "They will serve as bargaining chips until I have no further use of them."

"Megatron!" Drift yelled, his blades still sheathed in their scabbards. The Decepticons turned their attention towards the newcomer. They brought their weapons to bear against his, but the warlord raised a hand as a sign to stand down. Megatron stood still, remembering the cyber-ninja that once served as his lieutenant.

"Ah, yet another traitor in our midst. You are far worse than Starscream for your turning against us. And for that, I shall make you suffer," the warlord said as he balled his fists. "It is long past time that you paid the price for your betrayal."

"When does the killing stop? Your own power has corrupted you."

Megatron raised a hand to silence Drift. "Spare me your ramblings, Deadlock. You were once a Decepticon like the rest of us. Surely you must realize the folly of ever joining with them in the first place."

"Don't you get it? We've lost our way!" the blademaster declared. "You're using these people against each other for your own gains."

"You disappoint me. It is a shame that such a devoted subject would fall so far from grace."

"Then I'm about to disappoint you more," Drift countered, pointing one of his servos at the warlord. "I was wrong to have joined your cause in the first place. You're no better than the Autobot council that led our people to ruin."

"There is still a chance at redemption," Megatron said, extending a hand. "I am willing to offer you leniency and dismiss your past transgressions in exchange for your loyalty."

"Forget it. I may not be able to stop you on your quest for 'justice' as you claimed in the past, but I can slow you down!"

"You're welcome to go ahead and try, though I doubt it will do you any good now."

Drift took up a defensive posture and struck first, landing several blows against the Decepticon warlord in rapid succession. While Megatron felt the impacts to be nothing more than swats at best, he took it to mind not to underestimate his former comrade. The ore-13 that he consumed prior to his arrival in the port gave him an overpowering feeling that raged through his processor, which was roughly equivalent to a human being on steroids.

Seeing that his standard attacks had little effect, Drift lifted both of his short swords and swung them downward, where Megatron blocked the attack using his left arm before striking the blademaster squarely in the midsection with his right fist. Drift's body flew several hundred meters before he crashed into the ground.

Megatron took the initiative and attempted to break Drift while he was still down. The cyber-ninja kipped back up and got back on his feet, engaging his former commander in melee combat. This fight turned personal, as both exchanged blows learned from many stellar cycles of combat training into a duel to the death. A duel to which there would be no end. The Decepticon warlord intended to become the victor at all cost.

**Command Ship **_**Trion  
**_**Earth Orbit, Port Yokosuka**

Above the atmosphere, a fleet of starships materialized in space high above the Asian continent. Their hulls shined brightly, all of them bearing the red facial insignia with chevrons protruding from the sides. The Autobot armada led by Optimus Prime has come in force.

On the _Trion_'s bridge swathes of soldiers stood behind their terminals monitoring the battle in Yokosuka high above.

"Transwarp complete," Hound informed. "We have arrived at the designated location."

"Is this it? Is this the Earth which Prowl and Jazz are on?" Prime asked.

"Confirmed. Residual scans indicate that the temporal particles in this region match with those from the stolen Golden Disk."

While the bridge's crew worked on gaining their bearings of their current surroundings, Optimus pondered what was happening down on this Earth. He could only imagine that Prowl's team was in another skirmish trying to cripple Decepticon activity in the area. Only the findings of the _Trion_'s scans would tell whether the allied expedition made any significant progress.

"Excellent. In the meantime, have all ships activate the Tachyon detection grids and scan for Decepticon energy signatures."

"Hang on, I'm detecting energy signatures on the planet surface. They are consistent with Decepticon weapon profiles," Hound announced to the bridge.

"Hmm, so they are here after all," the Autobot leader said. "What is the status of the orbital jump systems?"

"The energy has been diverted from the jump modules into the ship's transwarp engines during the time travel process. It will take at least another fifteen cycles to recharge," Hound informed.

_Blast it_, Prime mentally cursed. The orbital jump capability stored on Autobot starships allowed troops to instantaneously teleport from one location to another undetected. Since the tricorium utilized for inter-dimensional travel consumed part of the ship's energy, the Autobots would have to rely on another means of transportation with which to head towards the Earth.

"Optimus, there's something else: it looks like the Britannians are engaging the Decepticon forces as well."

"Beachcomber, open a channel to the fleet."

"Channel open," the geologist said, tapping into the armada's communications network.

"Fleet Command to all ships: assume battle stations."

As the alarms blared around the _Trion_, technicians and soldiers alike scrambled to their posts to prepare to deploy for the battle ahead.

"Alright, ready the orbital drop pods," Prime said as he tapped into his communications link, connecting with the Wreckers on-ship and other Autobot vehicle teams. "Roadbuster, Bumblebee, ready your assault teams and meet me in hangar bay three."

"On the way, sir," the Wreckers sub-commander answered.

"Moving!" the yellow lieutenant barked.

Just as Optimus departed the bridge, he turned his head sideways. "Silverbolt, you are in command of the fleet."

"Sir, what about fighter support?"

"Have the Alpha Sentinels at the flight deck on standby. If the need arises, we'll summon them."

Silverbolt nodded at Prime's decision. It wasn't the first time that the Autobot supreme commander engaged in a firefight without backup. If push came to shove, the Aerialbots would be called into the fight to provide an extremely devastating response to whatever enemy forces below had to offer.

Prime immediately called up the mechs that were present on the bridge. Each possessed a particular specialty, making them valuable assets to bring into the fight. Respectively, Hound was a scout, Smokescreen a diversionary specialist, Bluestreak a gunner, and Hardhead a ground assault soldier. The Autobot called Windcharger was only a mining specialist, but his magnetic powers would prove useful in the coming skirmish.

"Hound, Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Hardhead, Windcharger, you're with me," he commanded. "Silverbolt, you are in command of the fleet. Autobots, transform and roll out!"

In the hangar bay, Bumblebee was accompanied by Brawn, Cliffjumper and Warpath. Roadbuster commanded the Wreckers squad, which consisted of himself, Twin Twist, Top Spin, and Whirl. The Wreckers by their professions were dangerous individuals. Twin Twist is a demo expert who preferred to fight up close and personal, his brother Top Spin being an amphibious commando, and Whirl who specialized in aerial tactics.

An assortment of other soldiers assembled in the bay, primarily Autobot scouts well-versed in infantry combat. All of them were armed to the teeth, all of them eager to kick some Decepticon skidplates. This would be the moment in which they would test their mettle once more against their long-time foes.

"Alright, bots! Load up!"

Optimus Prime and his bridge team transformed into robot form, as he walked towards the gathered columns of Autobots to inspect them. He saw through their optics that they were set. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, sir!" all of the Autobots exclaimed in unison.

"Listen carefully: I know some of you are reluctant to join in this fight. However, with the Decepticons now active once again, it falls upon us to stop them at all costs. Whether we win or lose, we will fight or fall together," Prime finished with a brave demeanor. "'Til All Are One!"

"'Til All Are One!" shouted the other soldiers, making way for their arrival below.

**Dockyard Piers  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

Covering a large amount of distance,Spike and his men roved around the hangars to evade the insect-like Swarmers as they continued invading the port en masse. So far they managed to sneak through around the port and encountered light opposition from the American terrorists disguised as Britannian soldiers. He spotted a couple of Britannian guards as they were on high alert, and darted his eyes across as he saw their comrades in the Sutherlands and Gloucesters engage the creatures in different defensive positions around the area.

"That is one ugly mess out there," he observed.

"Yeah, the Brits are holding their own. Doubt it'll last too long, though." Farmer said.

"Cornelia's quite resourceful. I wouldn't be too quick to underestimate her," Spike said.

"Third vessel's been tagged, sir," Abernathy radioed as he planted the explosive onto its hull, where it would be nothing more than smoking wreckage within the next ten minutes.

"Good, let's move to the last target."

Spike's element snuck their way under the cover of darkness. The distraction that Prowl's unit provided against the Britannian and Decepticon forces turned to be an ample diversion from their real objectives. Spike lowered his tri-focal goggles and saw two figures guarding the gate that led to the _Kellion_. From what he saw, they appeared to be Americans under Arkeville's employ disguised like their mercenary comrades.

They were armed with HK assault rifles, which differentiated them from the soldiers that worked with the imperial army. They also had their helmets off, which would give the agent Delacruz a window to kill them and remove their presence near their target objective.

"Delacruz, there's two mercs guarding that location. Take 'em out."

"Copy," Delacruz said. Two shots from his sniper rifle struck the sentries into their heads, as both of them slumped lifelessly against the wall.

"They're down."

"Alright. Good work, Delacruz. Farmer, let's put in that last batch of C-4 on the fourth ship before we bolt out of here."

"Uh, boss..." said Matthews.

"What is i-" Spike said before he turned and saw the massive creature tower over them. It drooled some kind of fluid on the edge of its mandibles. It turned to be one of the most grotesque things he has ever seen in his life. The blades that protruded from its limbs didn't make it look any less friendly. "Oh shit... RUN!"

All of the NSA operatives ran with all the energy they could muster. The Swarmers moved swiftly, single-minded in their objective to kill or infect any human that obstructed their path. The Insecticon minions were very fast and sturdy for machines of their size. Tendrils coiled from their mouths as they continued their pursuit, never losing sight of their targets.

"Don't let them touch you!" Spike said.

On the way towards another junction, three more Swarmers appeared from the shadows behind them. They crawled after the Americans with determination. As their ranks rapidly grew, Dobbes decided to make a stand and fish out of his grenades to collapse one of the structures that would take them down all at once.

"Want a piece of us? Have your fill!" Dobbes exclaimed as he chucked the explosives behind him into a crane tower. It exploded and collapsed onto the swarm that pursed the group.

"Where are all of these reinforcements coming from?" Farmer said.

"There must be underground shelters or other carriers docked in the piers somewhere that are bringing in all these reinforcements," Spike deduced.

As the Americans continued their trek, a blade struck Dobbes from behind. The NSA agent yelped out in agony before something broke out of his kevlar. He was metamorphosing into some sort of viral creature.

"Someone, help me..." he cried out, trying to reach for something.

"Dobbes!" Farmer shouted, as he moved towards his downed comrade to aid him. Spike blocked his path and held the agent back. "Sir, we have to help him!"

"Farmer, stay back! All of you, stay where you are: DO NOT TOUCH HIM," he commanded, making his intent clear to the group as he called for assistance. "Prowl, this is Spike! We need help over here now!"

The deputy commander's reply drew anger from within the SEAL. "Can't. We've already got our own problems fighting off the Decepticons over here."

"Spike, Jazz here. Me and the twins are on our way to help. You just sit tight."

"There's no time! I got wounded in need of immediate medical attention now!"

"Sir, look: he's changing!"

In just a short span of time Dobbes' skin changed into something foreign. Something... alien. All that remained was a metallic shell of what used to be a human being. Circuitry and bionic enhancements gradually grew out of his body and continued to spread.

Tendrils extended from the former agent's figure. Soulless eyes glowed yellow with hostility towards the Third Echelon team. Dobbes snarled at the group and roared into action as he charged against his former teammates. "Feeeeed..."

"I'm sorry..." Spike said sorrowfully before he shot Dobbes twice in the head with his silenced pistol. The two bullets weren't enough to take him down, so Delacruz provided an assist by firing one shot into center of the chest. After watching him writhe and groan, the former NSA agent stopped moving entirely.

"We'll come back for you, I swear..." Spike whispered to himself before the team left the area towards their next objective.

**Command Ship **_**Trion**__  
_**Earth Orbit, Port Yokosuka **_****_

As the group of Autobot personnel loaded onto the drop pods, Optimus cocked back his plasma rifle to charge it at full power. The cables that maintained vital functions snaked out from inside the capsule and connected into various sections of his upper body. The door hissed loudly as it sealed shut in front of him. Darkness was replaced by holodisplays of his vital functions.

When Prime nested himself firmly within the confines of the capsule, he subconsciously activated a tactical holodisplay to keep an optic on the activity below.

"Strike units report ready to deploy," Roadbuster informed.

"Deploy drop pods."

By design, the drop pods themselves were constructed to be shielded from detection by the sensory cababilities of indigenous species. Coupled that the party will land onto the planet surface from high orbit, none of the enemy forces would expect

_Just hold out a little longer_...

As the hangar bay doors opened, the first wave launched from the capital ship towards the Earth.

**End of Chapter 20**

* * *

Author's Note:

I apologize for the late update. I've been stranded in Paris for two days and spending some time with the fam stateside for the past several days. This little tidbit is the appetizer for the main course to come, so to speak.

The scene at the end of the chapter was inspired by the arrival of the Autobots in the 2007 Transformers movie and the arrival of the Blood Ravens in the first mission of Dawn of War.

The Alpha Sentinel aircraft belonging to the Autobot forces is based off the VF-11s and VF-19s from the Macross Plus/Seven universes. Since the Decepticons are dominant in terms of air power I decided to add them in as part of the concept of expanding the story as a conflict between different factions.

Also, keep in mind that I might throw in some additions later. Expect the feud between all parties to escalate now that Prime and Megatron are in play. :P

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	26. Chapter 21 The Arrival, Part 2: Descent

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**War explodes in Port Yokosuka, as help arrives for the beleaguered Autobot expedition led by Prowl.**

* * *

****

Chapter 21: The Arrival, Part 2: Descent

Earth's Atmosphere  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11

The squadron of drop pods rocketed through the Earth's atmosphere in balls of flame. While all of the Autobots that were traveling through with the skies undetected, it would not be long before the Decepticons take notice. Optimus kept a tactical display of the region that differentiated all of the hostile contacts from the friendly ones, which were red and blue respectively. The data fed through his instruments in real-time from the scans of the fleet's tachyon sensor grid. It would prove useful in the battle ahead as the team touched down towards the surface, since they were originally designed to scan anomalies in space and differentiate local phenomena. The Decepticon signal dampeners would not work against the fleet's detection net, which granted the Autobots a superior tactical advantage.

[Computer, duration until drop zone entry?] Optimus asked the pod's onboard computer.

{Estimated time of arrival: thirty nano-kliks.}

[Open a channel to all other pods en route to the same location.]

{Channel open.}

Prime called out the accompanying cadre of soldiers via voice comm link: [All strike teams, report your status.]

[Roadbuster here, me and the Wreckers are en route to the western side in five nano-kliks.]

[Optimus, this is Bumblebee: my team's about to hit the northeastern section of the dockyards very shortly.]

The Autobot supreme commander smiled inwardly at the progression of their travel. So far everything went smoothly as planned. [Excellent, once we arrive on location we will initiate a counterattack and repel the Decepticons.]

[What do we do about the Britannian forces?] Bumblebee asked.

[Disable them if they fire upon you. Our primary objective is to push Starscream's forces out of this region and if possible, capture any Decepticons that are astray.]

[Yes sir,] all of his subordinates replied in unison.

The pods continued their approach unhindered, delivering their occupants to the war-torn dockyards where their enemies remained unaware for the time being.  
_ _ _

**Sector 5G  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

"Protect the viceroy at all costs!" Guilford ordered to the Knightmares around him, as the pressure mounted rapidly against the imperial forces. He clearly saw (and sensed that the other commanders knew as well) that the Britannians lost the initiative. While Cornelia's army withdrew from the battle area, her knight took care in accompanying her back to the G-1 HQ outside of the dockyards.

"Guilford, are you alright?"

Cornelia's knight responded: "I'm fine, but we need to evacuate as quickly as possible. This area isn't safe."

"General, we need to get out of here! Our positions are being overwhelmed!" one of the pilots yelled, which was overtaken by the shrieks of the insect-like creatures swarming the port.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Captain! Squads two through seven, regroup at junction three! Squads eight through thirteen, assume tactical formation and engage the creatures that are coming on the west side! MOVE!" Darlton commanded. Radio chatter flooded the comm nets of the Britannian forces after Cornelia issued her order to retreat.

"This is Major Vickers, we're pinned down in sector four! Most of the members in my squad are wounded! I need a medevac to my team's location ASAP!"

"Hold your position, Vickers. We're on our way to help."

Just as Darlton moved his Gloucester, an insectoid creature sprung itself from the grounds below and crawled onto the surface. It snarled in a hostile manner with pits glowing dark red. Tendrils snaked under its mouth, drooling some form of saliva. The monstrosity was one of the most ugliest things the general ever saw.

The creature moved first and attempted to catch Darlton. The general evaded its motions and slammed his weapon into the maw of the insectoid before he blew it into slag, its innards painting the ground several meters. Out in the distance from where the creature laid dead, he spotted a destroyed Sutherland and picked up a jousting lance from its unmoving form. As he stared into the lifeless body of his strange enemy, a Gloucester came forth from behind with its weapon hoisted to its chest.

"General, you must retreat along with the others. We'll hold the creatures here!" one of his captains said as his Gloucester fired his assault rifle. Others joined the foray blazing away in controlled bursts.

"Step aside, this one is mine!" Darlton growled. Ignoring the cries of his men, he heard only the sound of battle. His battle instincts took over as he slammed his jousting lance into the bio-mechanical creature. The sheer force of the bladed weapon pierced through the insectoid like a knife through butter. "Foul creature. Now you know my fury."

"Is everyone alright?" Cornelia radioed on the net.

"Five of our groups have made it back to the G-1 base to re-arm," the general explained, accompanied by Guilford and his contingent back onto the route towards their HQ. Cornelia was the last of the most recent group that made it back to their command post. "There are still numerous squads that are stranded in the dockyards, with most of the escape routes cut off."

"We can't even see these monsters on our radars," Guilford noted to them.

"What about our fighter squadrons?" she radioed out to her advisors.

"They are currently engaged against enemy flyers, and they're not faring well at the moment. Most of them's been wiped out after the enemy attack started."

"Then we must withdraw from here, and eliminate the JLF another day. We'll need to figure out a way to deal with this new enemy that we face," Cornelia said, who was a short distance between her guards and the battle area. While she followed the imperial troops, a monstrous insectoid popped out from underneath, and managed to cling to her Knightmare with its tendrils extending from its maw. It did not take much before the thing dragged it along with her back where it came from.

"Princess Cornelia!" Guilford said, his charge taken by the unknown attackers as they dragged her along towards wherever they went.  
_ _ _

Drift held his ground against Megatron, plunging his blades into the Decepticon leader's midsection. Using his millennia of experience as a gladiator, Megatron fought with the strength that he could muster. The blademaster parried numerous blows from his former leader and landed an elbow strike that connected to the chestplate, with another strike from his blades into his left arm.

Megatron swung a left fist, which was promptly blocked by Drift's swords in an X. The intense force of the punch sent the blademaster flying into the air. Drift recovered quickly as he somersaulted in reverse and fired his jumpjets, lifting one of his feet while thrusting it forward. The kick successfully connected to the Decepticon leader's chestplate, while Megatron grabbed Drift by the leg and threw the cyber-ninja into the sea. The blademaster's chassis splashed into the waters out of sight.

Out in the distance Megatron watched the as fireballs descended from the cloud banks above away from where the battle was taking place. His optics narrowed at the sight of what appeared to be Autobot drop pods coming from the sky. The warlord wasn't intent on taking any chances.

"Blitzwing, investigate the anomalies coming from the air. I have a feeling we'll have more visitors coming."

"Right away, boss," the triple-changer said.

The battle went well so far for the Decepticons. Whether they could maintain control over the dockyards remained to be foreseen. Megatron had a feeling in his spark that the situation was going to change. Exactly how drastically so remained the question in his neural processor. **  
_ _ _**

The Black Knights had a minimal presence in the ports, since this was meant to be a stealth operation. Before Cornelia launched her attack, he Geassed one of the Royal Marines and instructed him to lay a sakuradite mine near the seabed along the path where the _Ishimura_ was escaping.

Just as Lelouch prepared to activate the explosive with his remote, his second-in-command radioed something that he never thought possible.

"Zero, Ohgi here. "We're observing movement. The Britannians are pulling out."

"What?" his thumb stopped short at the detonation trigger.

"Our guys just observed heavy activity on the eastern piers. It looks like they're up against the machines all of us fought back in Narita."

"Those animal mechanoids are here again?"

Lelouch smiled sinisterly, the moment the Black Knights had been waiting for has come.

_So they are here. Perfect, now is the time to strike_!

"Takagi, rev up the engines! We're going to move in and capture Cornelia now while we still have the chance!" Lelouch said.

"Powering up, hang on!" the helmsman said. **  
**_ _ _

**Port Yokosuka  
Yokosuka, Area 11**

Jazz and the Lambo twins were dispatched to assist Spike's team shortly after the liaison made the call for help. The NSA agents were besieged in another section of the dockyards, closest to the fourth target that they planned to eliminate. The three Autobots separated from each other, intent on reaching their allies before they were overtaken by the Insecticons' creations. Shadows loomed over the horizon, as Sideswipe shifted into robot mode and pulled out his photon rifle, wary of his surroundings.

Another Swarmer jumped above and latched onto Sideswipe, stabbing him in the back with its blades. Feeling the sting of pain course through his chassis, the red twin snatched onto the plating of the creature and slammed it into a building before he powered up his right fist and smashed right through it. The impact of the punch splattered the monstrosity into dozens of pieces and rattled in the pool of its own blood as it died.

"That ought to take care of you," Sideswipe said, wiping the fuel off his hands as he noticed an orange-haired girl in a school uniform hiding behind one of the storage containers.

"Shirley?" Sideswipe said.  
_ _ _

Shirley felt the reality of fear kick in. The thundering sounds of gunfire and burning wreckage rung through her ears. She felt the urge to retreat from where she came, and would have to find out the truth about Lelouch another day.

Hordes of black biomechanical creatures crawled from the rooftops of the dockyard hangars, sickle-like protruding out of their forearms. On the ground were dead bodies of what appeared to be Britannian soldiers. Red pools trickled down from their corpses as she tried to make sense of what caused such carnage.

Out for blood, they sensed Shirley was alone by herself. They hissed and drew their arms back, ready to slice her into pieces. She leaned against the wall, finding that there was no escape.

Suddenly the creature splattered into pieces, its biomechanical ligaments flayed onto the ground as a massive red figure emerged. It extended its black-plated hand towards Shirley's direction, trying to take hold of her. She closed her eyes, fearful of what came next.  
_ _ _

"No! Stay back! Stay away from me!" Shirley shouted in a state of hysteria, not realizing that it was Christopher Snyder in his true colors.

"Shirley!" Sideswipe said as he scooped the unconscious girl into his hands. Another Swarmer crept behind the red twin and almost impaled him before he heard the sound of a photon blast turning the insectoid creature into a pile of scrap metal. Its internal fluids spilt outwards as it crashed onto the ground unmoving.

"You gotta be more careful, bro," Jazz warned before he saw who it was that Sideswipe held in his hands. "What in the world is she doing here?"

"I don't know, but we've got to get her to a hospital!" the red twin shouted amidst the gunfire.

"Easier said than done, we're outnumbered! The Swarmers are coming in faster than we can scrap them!" the special ops lieutenant said, whose conversation with the Lambo twin was promptly interrupted by Prowl calling through the voice comm frequency. [Jazz, where are you?]

[Near dock number five. Sideswipe founded a female civilian.] the lieutenant explained.

[What about her?] Prowl asked bluntly, whose attention was focused on the battle.

The red twin froze, somewhat hesitant of what to say before Jazz stepped in. [She's somebody we know.]

[You let a civilian get into the crossfire?] the deputy commander shot out, sounding somewhat irate amidst the battle.

[No. We don't even know why she's here,] Jazz replied sharply.

[That doesn't matter now. Fall back to our position, we'll move out as quickly as possible.]

[It looks like our route's been cut off,] the special ops agent observed ahead of the pair. Layers of debris

"Allow me," Sunstreaker said, who caught the two unaware of his presence, as he stepped forward to smash a hole at the obstruction.

[On second thought, disregard what I said earlier,] Jazz called back to Prowl before he turned to the twins: "We need to get out of here and regroup with the others. Stick together and watch for the bugs." **  
****_ _ _ **

Delacruz crouched low through the bridge that connected to one of the warehouses, mindful to avoid the enemies that roamed on the ground. While they were big, they were preoccupied in trying to fight against the scattered imperialist forces that attempted to retreat back to their base of operations.

The rest of the NSA team was under heavy fire, as the Insecticon horde demonstrated that they were not only adept at close quarters fighting, but were just as capable at ranged combat. The grenade launchers were barely holding them off. Groaning his frustration, the Hispanic ex-Delta operator searched for a spot in which to aid his teammates and positioned himself as he laid out his bipod and replaced his ammunition with specially designed EMP rounds to take some of the aliens out of play.

"Commander, you still alive?" the sniper said, hoping that he reached his colleagues in time. As soon as he saw the swarm surrounding the American team, Delacruz didn't waste another second in taking them down. He fired multiple shots in rapid succession to keep the enemy off-balance.  
_ _ _

Hearing the support of sniper fire motivated Spike further to keep his team alive for as long as possible. He traced the origin of the shot to a building adjacent to the group's position.

"Yeah, I'm still alive. Keep shooting!"

"Roger that," Delacruz replied.

"Hold your positions, people!" the SEAL told his group. They shot at the American terrorists working with the Decepticon forces as they blocked the exit back towards the dockyards. Finding it difficult to pierce through, they switched their munitions to specially modified high-explosive grenades on their M4 rifles and struck on whatever weak spots they could find on the Swarmers, since their plating made them tough creatures to kill. The insectoids that guarded the Americans' escape route were reduced to scrap, due to the intervention of a certain Porsche and two Lamborghinis. Their presence on the field made the SEAL give out a sigh a relief.

"Jazz, perfect timing!" the liaison said before he saw the girl in Sideswipe's hands. She was covered in blood but ultimately unharmed. "Who's she?"

The fighting still hot, they were not far away enough where they could detonate the C-4 on the fourth cargo vessel safely.

"A friend," the red twin explained to them.

"We need to find cover fast! We're too close to the blast area of the target that we just tagged," Farmer said.

"There's a warehouse over there!" Sunstreaker pointed out with his index finger.

"Alright then, let's go! Matthews, Kelly, all of you: get up and move your asses!"

All of the Americans made a tactical advance towards the building that the yellow twin designated to be safe. Jazz and Sunstreaker kept their photon rifles leveled while Sideswipe followed the

"Blow it!" Spike barked, the NSA agents taking refuge behind one of the crates inside the warehouse. A massive explosion rocked the ground near their site as the ship detonated in a ball of fire. Three more explosions

"That oughta take care of the Decepticons' shipping lanes sir," Farmer quipped.

"It doesn't take care of the jets that are shooting for us! Incoming!" Jazz shouted as he spotted incoming air-to-ground missiles coming from one of the two Seekers assigned to Megatron's guard.

Over their heads the roof collapsed on the Autobot/NSA team. Three of the Americans were killed due to the weight crushing them, with the surviving agents stuck under the debris. Spike's hand stretched out to reach to something, but his efforts proved to be in vain. He could only hope that someone would come to rescue them in time.  
_ _ _

Optimus was the first to eject from his pod, as the shell that encased him disintegrated into nothingness. The other Autobots encased within their pods did the same, and braced themselves, Prime landed foot first, the impact of the landing as the ground under him cracked. Concrete showered just a few feet up before the pebbles landed back onto the ground.

"Wreckers on the ground," Roadbuster said.

Bumblebee called Prime up next through the secure frequency. "Squad on the deck and moving."

His personal escort of Autobots soon landed afterwards, with Hound, Smokescreen, Bluestreak, and Windcharger following afterwards. Prime's optics turned into narrow slits, keeping watch over anyone that attempted to approach the group. All of the member's in Optimus' entourage charged their weapons in anticipation of the threats ahead.

"Stay sharp and keep your optics peeled for the Decepticons." **  
_ _ _ **

Blitzwing fired several shots from his tank barrel, scoring hits on Gloucesters assigned to Cornelia's army. Since they were unfortunate to cross his path, he had no incentive to allow them to live. Like a raging bull, he transformed into robot mode and rammed through the two royal guard Knightmares who blazed their assault rifles in his direction, smashing them with his fists. One Britannian soldier supported by several other infantrymen in his company attacked him from behind, attempting to damage him by any means possible. Their RPGs and high-explosives did little to deter Blitzwing from pulling out his energy rifle and obliterating them with one blast.

The fury of the skirmish drove the triple-changer into a frenzy. Humans dying was all the motivation he needed to keep fighting, regardless of whatever amount of ore-13 he had running in his chassis. He transformed into tank mode and fired several blasts, disintegrating his targets before they altered their tactics and attempted to outmaneuver him. Their actions against him proved to be a futile venture.

"Weaklings, I was hoping for a little more of a challenge out of you."

Blitzwing drove his blade into the pilot capsule of the enemy Sutherland before he retracted it from the human machine. Nothing sated his thirst for battle better than to stain his sword with the blood of the Terrans. Everything around him came to an abrupt halt when he sensed that something was wrong.

His figure recoiled at the sight of a massive Cybertronian with smokestacks attached to its arms, an Autobot insignia on its pauldrons and ice-blue optics staring angrily in his direction. "You!"

The triple-changer was silenced from the swing of the newcomer's fist as it slammed into his faceplate, breaking his visor and knocking him offline.  
_ _ _

Suzaku fought against legions of insectoids with both of his MVSs. They were extremely fast for monsters of their size. Seeing one of his comrades injured, he attempted to aid the wounded pilot, and saw blood caking the man's eyes and face. The scope of the attack against the imperial forces finally dawned upon the Lancelot operator.

"What are you doing here?" the pilot growled, clutching to his wounds.

"Where's Major Powell?" Suzaku asked.

"Major Powell's dead," one of his teammates said, when Suzaku reached forth to offer a hand to his fellow soldier. "Are you alright?"

"Back away from me, Eleven!" the pilot shot hotly.

The warrant officer groaned at the man's stubborn demeanor. "Don't be a fool! We'll get killed unless we work together through this!"

"I would rather fight alongside my real comrades than work with you!"

"Look out!" Suzaku shouted as he had the Lancelot pushed away the damaged Sutherland away from the sickle of one of the insectoid creatures.

"NOOOOOO!" shouted the doomed pilot before he was speared by another creature's arm.

_Damn_, he thought to himself. Still attempting to earn their trust, their distrusting nature turned to be their undoing. There was nothing more that he could do except fight onward. The only problem with that was that he was on his own.

Suzaku observed what he thought was the viceroy's Knightmare, its arms torn out of its sockets. Whatever the robots wanted with her, it was bound not to be good.

"Princess Cornelia?"

The familiar voice of Andreas Darlton broke through the net, breaking the warrant officer out of his temporarily distracted state. "Kururugi, you still alive?"

"Yes sir!" he barked back, the Lancelot standing at attention.

"Go after the viceroy and rescue her," he said, the grave seriousness of the situation evident in the young pilot's mind. Suzaku nodded and pushed his Knightmare forward, cutting a path for himself to pursue Cornelia's captors.  
_ _ _

"Ten seconds 'til arrival, team," Takagi informed.

The craft moved at seventy knots and faster. As it slid against the slope, the boat flew like an artillery shell and crashed against both Britannian and insectoid alike, the ship opened its main bay where all the Knightmares were contained. Those that piloted the Burais cocked their rifles and prepared for action.

The helmsman hastily addressed the group of their entrance to the dockyards. "We're in!"

"Move out!" Zero commanded to his forces.

The Black Knights deployed from their craft, striking anything that crossed their path. Sutherlands and Gloucesters fell under the might of their sudden attack. The fact that the Britannians were in disarray helped matters even less, since they were being attacked on all sides.

"There she is!" Kallen observed.

"Who's that with Cornelia?" Ohgi asked on the tactical net.

"It doesn't matter now, we must attack while the Britannians are still preoccupied defending themselves. Kallen, clear a path towards point seven!"

"Roger, Guren moving in now!" Kallen replied, as her Knightmare rode forth to capture Cornelia's Gloucester while the Britannians were thrown in disarray. As the boat carrying the Black Knight KMFs jumped across the sloped pier and landed against the contingent that attacked the ship carrying, Kallen exited alongside five Burais, one of them being the Burai Kai controlled by Zero.

"Clear a path towards point seven!" the vigilante commanded.

"It's going to be tough getting to her," Kallen said, seeing the vanguard that held the viceroy in their grip, which consisted of biomechanical monsters and the predatory animal machines they encountered back at Narita.

She drew out her fork knife and slashed right through one of the insectoids. The Burais assisted by providing cover fire, destroying the creatures as they gave high-pitched shrieks in response to their presence. The amount of fluids and internal wirings that spilled outward made them seem... alien.

"Zero, there's something weird about these creatures..." she said.

"Cut through them. They're no different than any other enemy that we've fought. We _must_ capture Cornelia by any means necessary! We cannot allow these monsters to slow us down."  
_ _ _

"Bring the human female with us. And be sure to take the Autobot prisoners with us," Megatron said to the Predacons. Astrotrain brought Starscream's body in tow, landing in robot mode and dragging the aerospace commander by his foot thrusters. Megatron stood in place for a moment before he stepped toward the triple-changer and his prisoner.

"We recovered the traitor, sir," the cargo specialist informed.

"At last," Megatron said. The Decepticon warlord pulled an energon knife that he would plunge into his former second-in-command's spark to force him to divulge the location of the Golden Disk. Soon after, he heard explosions nearby and turned behind to the origin of the disturbance. Megatron saw the black-colored frame of a Burai Kai, and he suspected that it was commandeered by a certain masked vigilante who held a vested interest in the warlord's prisoner.

"Ah, the infamous Zero. You've been causing quite the ruckus," the Decepticon leader said.

"I believe you have someone in your custody. If you would be so kind as to hand her over to us..."

In a quick motion, Megatron blasted through the cockpit of the Burai guarding Zero with his primary weapon and charged straight towards where the vigilante was and grabbed his Burai Kai by its head.

"Is that the best you can do, Zero? I'm insulted that you even dared to try and steal my prize. But since you're already here, I might as well kill you for the misery you've caused me," Megatron promised as he crushed the factsphere helmet of Zero's Knightmare.

"Get away from him!" yelled the female from the red Knightmare.

"More insects." Megatron said, parrying the Guren's attack as he sent a punch towards the KMF, but missed due to its smaller size. Impressed by its speed, Megatron decided to follow suit and evade its strikes meant to terminate him. It drew back its gauntlet and latched onto Megatron's chest, discharging the energy contained within its forearm. The warlord felt it surge sting through his body, but not enough to phase him out of the battle.

Finding the pain tolerable, he latched onto the gauntlet with his fist and exerted enough pressure to disable it.

"Bring your worst," the Decepticon leader said. "Whatever resistance any of you attempt to muster against me will not be enough."  
_ _ _

Observing the battle from within the confines of her cockpit, the second princess watched as the Black Knights ran. They were by no means weak, but their leader understood that some battles were un-winnable. She could see her massive opponent's facial expression as it angled its optics in anger.

"Exterminate the Black Knights, let not a single one escape!"

_At least he can get rid of Zero for me. Perhaps I can still get away by ejecting my capsule, but should I risk it_? Cornelia pondered to herself. Megatron kept himself well-guarded, with the insectoid creatures keeping a close eye on her activity. Her battery power was running low, and she was trying to think of any option in which she could get out of this predicament.

"What in the Inferno..." Megatron said before he saw several of his insectoid minions cut down by a small and nimble Knightmare Frame. It had green optics and factsphere sensors protruding from the side of its chest as they retracted back inside. On its hands were its swords, dripping with the fluids of the slain monsters. "Another interloper..."

"Your Highness, I've come to rescue you," Suzaku said.

"I suppose that's twice I owe you now," Cornelia said with gratitude, which felt unusual to her.

"Silence!"

"I'll handle this one, Megatron," the lion machine offered.

"Go," the warlord commanded.  
_ _ _

Razorclaw shifted into robot form and drew his blade down, blocking the path of the white Knightmare that he fought back at the Narita Mountains.

"So, you have come to challenge us again. Only this time you're armed with just your swords."

"I don't have time for you!"

The human operated machine fired its slash harkens onto the ground, lifting itself high above as it jumped over him and rushed forward to the recently captured Princess Cornelia in her Gloucester.  
It was stopped short as Razorclaw grabbed it by the leg and smashed it into the ground. Rocks showered from the impact, creating a dust cloud in its wake.

"Don't think you're going to get off easy this time, whelp!"

Recovering quickly, the white Knightmare Frame faced off with both of its swords in hand, dodging whatever attacks Razorclaw sent its way. The Lancelot used both of its swords to block a fatal blow from the Predacon's sword, spun it around while locking it in place, and disarmed him in one swift motion. It was enough to allow it to sneak past the Cybertronian hunter warrior and reach the second princess, whose frame was leaning against one of the hangar bays. Cornelia watched in awe as the Lancelot rushed forth to her aid. She did not expect to be rescued, let alone by the same Eleven that saved her back at Narita.  
_ _ _

"Viceroy, watch your head!"

"What?" she whispered to herself before the Lancelot cut the top of her cockpit clean off of her capsule.

"Your Highness, we must hurry. Time is running short," Suzaku advised.

"Who ordered you to rescue me?"

"General Darlton did, ma'am," the Eleven replied.

Sensing danger that was close by, a horde of the insectoids marched towards their position and attempted to entrap them. The Lancelot extended a hand as she climbed onto the Knightmare, her figure clutched safely within its palm.

"I think now would be a good time to make a break for it!" Cornelia suggested to him. He opened his cockpit and reached out to her with his hand.

"Hurry!"

Reluctant, she moved onto the Lancelot's pauldron and climbed into the cockpit with the warrant officer. As crammed as it was, they both managed to fit right in.

"Don't say anything of this," she gritted to him, reminding the lad not to get any bright ideas.

"I wasn't planning to," Suzaku said. "Hold on!"  
_ _ _

Megatron yelled in a fit of rage, balling his hands into fists, while still clutching Zero's Knightmare by its head. "NO!"

A massive blast of energy struck the warlord dead center in the chest plate. The beam cut a swath from its point of origin, destroying the Swarmers that stood guard near the Decepticon leader's present location.

When the smoke cleared, Optimus Prime appeared alongside several of his troops with his plasma rifle in hand. On top of the hangar behind him was Hound, Bluestreak, and Smokescreen. All of them were heavily armed, all of them eager to battle. Relief washed over the captured members of the Autobot expedition.

"Optimus, are we glad to see you," Ironhide said, who struggled to hold onto Wheeljack.

"You made it..." the engineer said, weakened by the beating that he endured from the Decepticon leader.

"We came as soon as we could," Prime said as he knelt next to the fallen Lancia. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better..." the engineer groaned, feeling the pain ring throughout his chassis.

"Prime, how generous of you to show up out here in this miserable colony," Megatron said with a sinister smile, clutching the Guren Mark II by the head piece as it struggled to break free.

"Let the humans go, Megatron."

"But we have _so_ much to catch up on," the warlord said to his long-time nemesis.

Optimus allowed the conversation to continue no further and went straight to the point. "I will not allow your slaughter to continue any further. This madness ends _now_!" Prime declared. The Autobot leader fired the first shot from his plasma rifle before Megatron could use his fusion cannon. The blast damaged the warlord's armor, but not enough to knock him out of play.

"Ah, but this fight has only just begun."

Prime dodged the blast meant for him from the warlord's primary weapon as he charged towards Megatron, slamming the Decepticon leader against the wall of a nearby warehouse. The two commanders were locked in mortal combat as they always have since they first met on the battlefield. Destruction and carnage reached new heights. The humans that were caught in the middle no longer saw the fight as a battle for mere control, but one of survival.  
_ _ _

Trying to recover after the escape launch, Lelouch shook his head where he heard shouts from members of his group as they yelled out to him with a sense of urgency.

"Zero, we need to get out of here! Trying to capture Cornelia like this is tantamount to suicide!" Ohgi said.

_Damn it, this can't be happening_, the ex-prince thought bitterly before he issued his command.

"Zero, are you listening?"

When he opened his eyes fully, he saw the fires of war escalating to greater heights. When he saw the red and white giants fighting against each other, it became much more clearer to him that this was a battle beyond what the Black Knights were capable of fighting.

"Kallen, pick me up at the following coordinates, we'll clear an exit at point thirteen!"

"Roger!" she answered.

_Looks like we'll have to delay her capture another time_.  
_ _ _

**Northeastern Warehouses  
Port Yokosuka, Area 11**

Cliffjumper felt something stab into his leg, as an Insecticon Swarmer drove one of its blades deeper. The red Autobot yelped in pain before the creature exploded in front of him. He gritted his dental plates as he analyzed the damage done. Wirings and sparks spilled out, as he leaned against a structure to support his weight while attempting to continue in the fight alongside his fellow soldiers.

Bumblebee fired several photon bursts at the incoming swarm. Their mindless pursuit kept the Wreckers and the Autobot regulars on the defensive. The yellow minibot dashed to his wounded friend to check on him in spite of the weapons fire coming in their direction.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," Cliffjumper said, clutching to his leg.

"Windcharger, I need some assistance over here!" Bumblebee called.

The mining specialist came to the aid of the two minibots as he used his magnetic powers to rewire the damaged red warrior.

"Can you walk?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah," Cliffjumper said.

"These freaks are everywhere!" Brawn exclaimed, throwing one in mid-air as it crashed against the sea. "Their numbers seem limitless!"

"Roadbuster to Bumblebee, come in."

The yellow Autobot tapped onto the side of his helmet. "This is 'Bee."

"We're initiating a tactical displacement. Moving into the designated coordinates which I am giving to you now," Roadbuster declared.

"But we can still take them!" Twin Twist said, paving his way through the Insection drones with his fists while his brother Topspin provided fire support while Whirl assisted from the air with a barrage of air-to-ground rockets.

"As much as I like the fact that you're feeling mighty eager to smash these bugs, we're ordered to move. The Alphas are going to be coming in to help us out. Peel off, this place is about to be turned into a scrapyard in a few nanokliks."

Twin Twist growled at Roadbuster's order. It wasn't that he would not obey it, only that he find that withdrawing at such a moment alien to him.

"Order acknowledged. You heard him, let's go!" Bumblebee said, leading the Wreckers element and his own team to move to another location as promptly as possible.  
_ _ _

**Command Ship **_**Trion**_**  
Earth Orbit, Port Yokosuka**

Silverbolt had the sensor displays of the battle raging below in full view. Dots illuminated the map of the combat zone as the firefight between Prime's troops and Megatron's army continued. Since Prime kept the comm line to the flagship open, Silverbolt heard everything that was said between Optimus and Megatron, with the Autobots' worst fears realized.

"Beachcomber, what's the composition of the enemy forces below us?"

"The human imperialists have fallen back towards their headquarters. We detected several aircraft advancing towards that position. It looks like they're engaging the Decepticons."

_At least we don't have too much to worry about from them_, Silverbolt thought to himself. "Ready the Alpha Sentinels for launch!"

He tapped onto his comm line, which linked with one of his lieutenants who was preparing to go along with the first team of fighters. Each of his subordinates, Air Raid, Fireflight, Skydive and Slingshot, were charged with leading the fighters that were loaded in the ship's hangar. Among all of the Aerialbots, Air Raid was the most fearless, which made him the perfect candidate to command air operations in the region.

"Air Raid, what's the status of your aircraft?"

The Aerialbot lieutenant answered promptly: "Almost prepped over here. We'll be ready to go in three cycles."

"Listen carefully: I want you to lead the squadron down there and help Prime. If the Decepticons show up on your radar, shoot them down."

"I'd be more than happy to, boss," Air Raid replied.  
_ _ _

The Alpha Sentinels were armed with a payload to measure up to the Decepticon forces that rampaged in the dockyards below in terms of air-to-air missiles, photon rifles, and EMP/high-explosive cluster rockets for the enemy ground forces. Their aerodynamic frames were a balance of speed and firepower, an evolution of the defense program that created the Omega Sentinels during the advent of the Great War. Their capabilities were enough to rival the Seeker clones of the Aerospace Extermination Squadron.

Inside the noses of each aircraft were tachyon sensors that detected disturbances in the local space time, much in the same manner as the Autobot starships that orbited over Earth. They originally specialized in scanning gaseous anomalies during While the Decepticons energy signatures were masked from conventional sensors that would keep them invisible. There was no place for the Decepticons to hide.

The Autobot insignia with the chevrons on the side were emblazoned on the wings of the Alphas. Part of the new Space Forces fighter squadrons, they would be at the forefront of any engagement involving aerial units. Each plane moved forward toward the launch bay one-by-one. Air Raid positioned himself to the front of the group, where he would be the first to attack the Decepticons from the skies.

[Air Raid to first squadron, take off!]

[First squadron deploying now.]

Six of the Alphas led by Air Raid blasted off into the Earth's atmosphere to join the foray against Megatron's troops.  
_ _ _

The fight raged onward with even greater force than ever before, the destructive potential between the two Cybertronian factions just as apparent as it was millions of stellar cycles ago.

Prime gave his orders to the Autobots, who stood their ground firm. "Roadbuster, give cover fire while we move Prowl's unit until the Alphas arrive."

"You got it." Roadbuster said as he shifted into vehicle mode, bringing his tank cannon to bear as he drove to a safe and well-defended firing position where it would be hard for the Insecticons to crawl through, since the space was narrow and they attacked in groups. "Hardhead, move to my location, we'll trash the 'Swarmers on the left side on my signal.

"Copy, moving now," Hardhead said, driving towards an ideal spot where they could strike the enemy hard. His Stryker vehicle mode remained obscure in the chaos of the skirmish between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He positioned himself alongside the Wreckers sub-commander and armed his main gun to bear.

"All set," Hardhead said.

"Fire!"

Using the narrow spaces to thin the Insecticons' numbers, the two Autobot warriors discharged their weaponry and cut a bloody swath against the horde of Swarmers that pursued the escaping Autobots. They continued pounding through the masses of creatures as they crawled over each other to seek out and terminate their targets with extreme prejudice.

"That should hold them off for now," the Wreckers sub-commander said.

"Not for long, they'll probably be coming in for another attack run," Hardhead surmised.

Sensing one that snuck in past their defensive line, Roadbuster changed back into robot mode again and decimated the unscathed Swarmer with his shoulder cannons, before it blew into dozens of pieces and splattered against his frame. He noticed bits of techno-organic residue on his metallic skin. Shrugging his shoulders, he patted the liquid off of his chassis and refocused on his task. "They're persistent, I'll give them that."  
_ _ _

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, take the Autobot fighters. The rest of you, engage the enemy's ground forces. I will handle Prime."

The Decepticon flyers scrambled back into the air in fighter mode, engaging the Autobot Alphas that intervened in the fight. Razorclaw led his group into action as the war between the Decepticons and the combating human forces escalated beyond the latter's control.

Both of the Seekers shifted into robot form and fired their null rays against an Alpha that changed into its robot form and discharged its photon rifle at them. While the pair preoccupied themselves attempting to blast the other Autobot aircraft that dared to fight them, a black plane dove between while accelerating at high speed. To them it looked like a blur, until it changed into robot form, proudly wearing the red insignia of their enemies.

"What the –-?" Skywarp said.

"You mechs didn't forget that you weren't the _only_ Cybertronians that could fly, did you?" Air Raid taunted. Catching the two Decepticons completely by surprise, the Aerialbot took advantage of the momentary distraction before he struck Skywarp in the faceplate. "Well then, allow me to refresh your memory!"

"Let's dance!" Skywarp shouted, accepting his opponent's challenge as he changed back into his alternate form and pursued the enemy plane in a dogfight. Both executed aerial maneuvers that defied explanation. The black-purple Seeker unloaded a volley of missiles trailing behind his target, which was prematurely detonated by countermeasures released by the Aerialbot.

"Skyarp, wait!" Thundercracker pleaded his comrade, knowing that their opponent was leading them into a trap. He considered himself to be more level than his brash companion. Thus, the blue Seeker changed into his alternate mode and fired his afterburners to keep up with his partner.

Air Raid led his opponent into a wild goose chase out towards the sea, away from where the ground forces of the Cybertronian factions combated each other. As soon as the two fighters crossed a distance far enough where they were isolated, the Aerialbot changed back into his robot form alongside two Alpha Sentinels that came out from the sky.

The ruse turned out to be what Thundercracker feared. As a missile volley were loosed by the Autobot squadron and pursued the black-purple Seeker. Skywarp countered with his own flares and climbed up at a 330 degree angle, his nose pointed forward as he pushed the speed to his limit. Thundercracker quickly assisted his comrade and shot down the missiles with his internal vulcan cannon.

"I tried warning you," was all the blue flyer managed to say.

"Shut up and keep fighting," Skywarp told his colleague, focusing intensely on the matter at hand.  
_ _ _

The two leaders squared off with sheer fanaticism, much like their previous encounters in the past four million stellar cycles. Megatron picked up a massive boulder and threw it at Optimus. Prime punched through the debris and charged at his opponent like a raging bull, as they both locked hands in a strength of will. Prime looked at his nemesis squarely in the optic. The sounds of battle did nothing to prevent them from trying to tear each other to pieces.

"You cannot save these humans. Their fates have already been sealed long before you even arrived."

"Then I'm willing to contest that, as I always have!" Prime said, battling Megatron to the death. He refused to back down. No exchange of words between the two leaders has ever reached . The Decepticons have violated the Tyrest Accords. This moment was the culmination of the tension between the two factions long ago.

Prime swung an uppercut that connected to Megatron's faceplate. Megatron grasped his nemesis by the midsection, lifting him off his feet and throwing him into a warehouse. Optimus recovered back onto his feet. Air Raid called Prime on an encrypted frequency to warn him in advance of an impending attack.

"Optimus, air strike heading your way. Clear out while you can!"

The Autobot leader watched as the fighters sent from the _Trion_ descended and opened their internal missile bays. Air Raid was the first to let loose a volley that decimated the Swarmers from above. Fluids and bio-armor plating scattered as explosions from the Insecticon creatures bloomed all around.

Megatron observed that the Autobot aerospace fighters had impressive amounts of firepower at their disposal, almost enough to match that of the Seekers from the Aerospace Extermination Squadron. Never one to shy away from a fight, he decided it was in the Decepticons' interest to depart and fight another solar cycle. Seeing no point in continuing any further, he opted to have his forces disengage from the fighting for the moment.

"Give up Megatron, you can't win this fight," Optimus bellowed to his enemy.

"I shall concede to you this victory for now, Prime. Just remember: I will return. Decepticons, withdraw!"

Astrotrain took Starscream's body and created a transwarp portal that led back into their lair. Skywarp took his fellow Seeker and teleported to what was presumably the same location. The enemy retreated willingly.

_We'll see_... Prime thought calmly.

"Roadbuster, Bumblebee, stand down. We will get them eventually."

Behind the Autobot commander a shadow loomed. It was the familiar figure of Drift, who was drenched in water after being thrown a distance into the sea. The cyber-ninja was thankful that he survived the encounter against the Decepticon warlord, and was further relieved to see a friendly face in amidst the rubble.

"Commander."

"Drift, I see you're holding up well."

"Only my pride is wounded, after battling with Megatron. At least I am online to fight another day," the blademaster replied.

Optimus nodded. "If you can, please join with Roadbuster and help tend to our wounded."

Smiling slightly, Drift bowed in respect. "Of course," The gesture was welcoming, not that Prime wished for it. He hoped that the Americans that joined Prowl's unit were safe.  
_ _ _

The Guren carried Zero as he stood in its left hand. His team suffered light casualties, but the immense strength of the robot that called itself Megatron startled him. There were rumors of the Britannians developing a weapon system that was similar to the one that the white machine used on its right forearm. A weapon developed exclusively by the Toromo Institute, with the tecnology itself a carryover from the experimental Gefjun Disturber tech.

His mind pensive, the more he delved in the situation, the more questions that arose as to the recent events within the past three hours. Lelouch began to slowly believe that this fight was beyond the realm of private corporations openly competing against one another. He suspected that there were factions within the three world powers battling for reasons unknown. One thing was for sure: the memory of Megatron would be engraved in his brain for a long time.  
_ _ _

All around corpses and wrecked machines littered the dockyards. Craters formed from the weapons fire between the Autobots and the Decepticons left their mark on the streets and the buildings everywhere.

Amidst the rubble Jazz shoved aside some rocks that cut off the air to the humans that he shielded. When they came to, smoke and dust filled the space around them. Soon the Americans that were caught under the collapse of the building recovered onto their feet. Only Spike, Farmer, Delacruz and two other agents survived the endeavor, along with their young female companion and the Lambo twins.

He would come home to bury the men that volunteered to join. He watched a massive figure, at least taller than a regular Transformer, with the blue helmet and lighter optics to match its steely demeanor. It turned towards the NSA liaison and his cohorts, expressionless. Spike smiled in recognition of a familiar face to join the group.

"Optimus?"

"Spike. It is good to see you again."

"At least you made it to over here," the SEAL commander noted.

"Not soon enough, I'm afraid," Prime replied woefully. His blue optics surveyed the destruction that occurred within just a few hours.

"Sir, we've secured the perimeter. All the Decepticons are gone. As well as the Black Knights and the Britannians," Roadbuster radioed to him.

"Prep our wounded to load onto the shuttles."

The Wreckers sub-commander replied quickly before he carried on in his business. "Yes, sir."

"Optimus, I need your people's assistance in recovering one of my men." Spike said with a morose look on his face.

Pensive with concern, Prime gave an emphatic expression towards his human colleague. "I will send Ratchet to help with your comrade. But we must evacuate here soon, away from prying eyes," Prime said.

"Optimus, we wish to remain here for the time being," Jazz said as he walked toward the Autobot leader, accompanied by the twins.

Prime arched one of his optics in curiosity. "Is there a reason why?"

Sideswipe presented himself with the young Britannian female in his hands. "This girl is one of the locals that we know."

"Alright. Be careful and watch your backs," Prime said to them, as he watched the special ops agent and his two cohorts drive off into the darkness, mindful of avoiding contact with anyone who participated in the battle. The holoemitter lent to the trio by Wheeljack ensured that they would make it to the city in safety.

After the battle was over, the Autobots erased whatever evidence they could find so that the Britannians in Area 11 would not be able to seize the technology for themselves. Using the incoming shuttles to vaporize the remains of the Insecticon hordes and their victims. Though they couldn't eliminate all traces, they managed to erase large pieces of material left behind by the Insecticon onslaught so they could not identify what happened. It was the least that the Autobots could do at such a bleak time.

**End of Chapter 21**

* * *

Author's Note:

Thus concludes the fight in Yokosuka. From this point on the story will deviate from the Code Geass R1 canon in the series and stand on its own.

For those that saw the initial version of this chapter that I posted prior to the update I apologize. Hopefully the revisions made to this one and the chapter before it will make give the story a cleaner read.

I have also adopted a new policy in regards to the subsequent chapters that will come in the future. They will not happen as frequently as they used to (due to a variety of personal reasons), though I assure you that I am writing them.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)


	27. Chapter 22 Walking the Beat

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**As the Autobots recover from the battle at Yokosuka, Nightbeat arrives in Hong Kong with Chip and Marisssa to investigate suspected Decepticon activity in the region.**

* * *

****

Chapter 22: Walking the Beat

Downtown  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation

It felt odd for Nightbeat to leave at such a critical moment, with the rest of the Autobots currently in the system engaged in the Japanese mainland. Pursuing the leads of Decepticon activity in the Chinese Federation proved to be the only recourse. And he would have to do it with only the help of Marissa and Chip.

On the bright side, having the two humans accompany him as his support turned to be counterpoint to Nightbeat's lone wolf nature. Prowl suspects that the Decepticons have set up several laboratories manufacturing bioweapons that they saw earlier at Narita. Hence, their arrival into the sprawling city that is the center of commerce for all international shipping and seemed a reasonable starting point in uncover the extent of whatever secrets were harbored within Southeast Asia.

Nightbeat parked into a column of cars near the curb of the street that they traveled.

"Well, best we can do now is blend with the locals," Marissa said, glancing temporarily at Chip's laptop to get their bearings and back out in the open, where swarms of Chinese citizens, as well as traders from Europe and the Britannian mainland, trudged through the streets, minding their own business. The American pair exercised caution, even though they were in a metropolitan area where commercial traffic was heavy enough to leave them unnoticed, even a pair of suspicious eyes from one keen individual would draw unwanted attention to them. Improvisation and ingenuity (as the NSA agents have demonstrated when it came to information gathering) were in the cards, and they would have to use both of those in order to get out alive.

"This is pretty deep. We won't be getting help for a while," Chip said.

"Regardless, we're going to need to get the info for HQ," Marissa emphasized.

"Stay within sight. And Marissa, good luck."

"We're on Twelfth Street. We should be able to flow through traffic and get to the first stop a couple more blocks down, right into Triad territory."

"Is security heavy?" Marissa asked, checking her magazines for the Glock pistol stowed in the glove compartment and before checking outside the door again. A fresh magazine was loaded into the pistol before she re-holstered her weapon.

"Very," Chip answered, a hint of worry noted in his eyes. "Satellite's tracking dozens of heat signatures inside. Two guards at the entrance, with all of the others concentrated further near the subject."

The objective that the hacker referred to was a infamous arms dealer named Fei-Wong Yu: a criminal that operates outside the law and out of sight from the Chinese Federation. Contact with this person proved to be that would help jump-start the investigation into the Xerxes corporation, the company responsible for developing some of the sub-components and technologies used by the Black Knights, and Lukas International. The man held no true allegiance save his own, which made him a reasonable candidate to bribe for intel. With that in mind, Marissa wondered what the price would be to obtain the information she needed to proceed to the next phase of the investigation. Based on the profile that Chip culled from the Britannian databases, she was going to have a field day once she got inside and talk with Yu.

"Well then, I suppose this will make an interesting day," the field runner called while adjusting her earpiece. "Test one two three."

Chip gave a nod of approval and a thumbs up at the field runner's voice as soon as he heard her, resuming his spy work afterwards. "I've hacked into the street security cameras. We got good coverage on the outside of the restaurant and the slaughterhouse. The club itself will be a couple of floors up."

"How's my cover story?"

"Yeah, I have you listed as Gloria Finch. You work as an employee on behalf of Lukas International under the inventory assets division. Educated in Britannia University from 2006-2010. You opted out of government work and began contracting for the company in Area 11 due to a certain level of dissatisfaction with the previous mayoral administration."

Marissa nodded, memorizing each detail until she felt comfortable with her information. "Sounds good."

"How well do these guys know Arkeville?" Nightbeat asked.

"Enough to keep things casual between them and Arkeville's group. In essence, they deal with each other frequently."

"We will be able to backtrack their deals to their point of origin?"

"Provided that we can cull whatever we need from Fei-Wong, we'll still need to find out who the Black Knights are obtaining their equipment from."

"That's a conditional phrase, Chip. Not very assuring in my line of business," Nightbeat warned. "Once we do find out, we'll also need to figure out a way for the others to neutralize whatever stockpiles of energon-based weaponry the Black Knights have access to without them realizing it."

"Well, it's what we got to work with right now, until we find out more," the analyst sighed.

Marissa stepped outside and adjusted her jacket accordingly. She pulled a briefcase with documents from the back seat of the car, and donned a pair of glasses. Her disguise made her look professional, with the long pants and jacket matched by the dreary colors of her heels. A straight-laced businesswoman . She was a lone bee that flew into the hive alone, hoping that the bees didn't take notice of her affiliation and kill her on the spot.

---

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike sat behind his desk sifting through the personnel files on a government laptop. The dossiers of agents Dobbes, Kelly, and Sanchez were all positioned in different windows around the screen. Each of them served in different branches of the government, all which they gave their service with distinction. He wondered how he would be able to explain this back home to the friends and family they left behind.

While the men that were killed in action were unmarried, it did not make the pain any less to bear. Prime agreed to make arrangements for the dead to be returned home where they truly belonged. With Optimus' fleet hovering over Earth only a skeleton crew consisting of a few Autobots and the surviving Americans remained inside the facility. While the casualties for the latter remained small, the impact of each agent's death in combat struck a chord in the SEAL's conscious.

The first time that his superiors at the National Security Agency approached him back at his house, they made it clear to him and the others that joined the mission they had no obligation to assist the Autobots and that it would be a voluntary endeavor. Each person that signed on understood the risks associated with it and that the possibility of not being able to return home alive. He expected this to happen. Though it never weighed upon him until after the Yokosuka skirmish was over.

Then he reminisced about her father, a war hero long gone. His father died in combat against Megatron's forces in the closing days of the Autobot-Decepticon war on Earth. Spike saw him killed in an instant, the only remains of Brigadier General Ron 'Sparkplug' Witwicky were the ashes left on the soil of Baltimore, Maryland.

He held no preconceived notion that he was invincible and knew that one day, death would snatch him unto its cold grip like it did to his father and his wife. Spike's train of thought was interrupted when he felt a disturbance in the air. After doing work out in the field for more than a decade, his sixth sense was developed to the point where he could notice even very subtle changes in his surroundings.

"You can come on out from the shadows, Drift," Spike said.

The blademaster walked forward and knelt behind the lieutenant commander, his optics peering over the dimly lit screen with arms crossed.

"Still looking over the files of your personnel?"

"Yes."

It didn't take long for the cyberninja to know what his human compatriot was thinking. "You've been pondering about your decisions as of late."

Spike never answered the question. Instead he went on going over the profiles of the deceased agents that died in the recent skirmish with the Decepticon forces and the American mercenaries owned by Arkeville. The SEAL kept a steady voice

"Franklin Dobbes, 26, MIT graduate of computer sciences. Entered the FBI academy in Quantico at a young age and was one of the leading graduates of his class. Born in Burlington, Vermont. Raised by his father Andrew Dobbes before he died, leaving his mother Anna Dobbes to raise him. Instead, due to a drug addiction, she turned towards criminal activities and did time for armed robbery and murder."

"Quite a contrast to the life which his mother led," Drift noted.

The SEAL commander continued further: "Richard Kelly, age 27. Enlisted in the Marines at 18 out of Louisville, Kentucky. Honorably discharged as a sergeant. Worked as a contractor with a security firm before he was recruited into NSA as a field agent."

Not wanting to cut off the naval officer, Drift nonetheless interrupted him to provide another perspective on the mission. "There was nothing else that could be done to save them. You shouldn't blame yourself about it."

"I know. As much as I appreciate you trying to put my conscience at ease, this is not going to wash itself away any time soon," Spike said, rubbing his forehead.

"They're fighters like you and me. They volunteered for this mission willingly, did they not?"

"They did. Regardless, they're still my responsibility," the SEAL emphasized. He pursed his lips and leaned against his chair in deep thought. "Did I ever tell you about my family's motto?"

Drift shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not."

"There was a saying which my great grandfather adhered to: 'No sacrifice, no victory'. It was something that passed down through us through the generations."

"And now?"

Spike exhaled sharply. "Now, I sometimes wonder whatever price we pay to save our people is just too high."

While the two comrades continued to converse with each other, their discussion was cut short when the liaison's cell phone rung next to his laptop. Spike picked up the cell and answered curtly. "Yes?"

"Commander, Agent Farmer here. I just got a call from Jazz back at the hospital. It looks like the witness is recovering from unconsciousness."

"Roger, get a vehicle ready for me," Spike instructed before he turned back to Drift. "I'm going to be heading to St. Anna's Hospital to visit their friend. There's a couple of things I need to ask her."

"Spike, I just have one piece of advice for you."

"What's that?" the SEAL commander asked of the white armor-clad warrior.

"Try not to dwell on the dead too much," the blademaster suggested.

"Easier said than done, Drift," Spike whispered as he departed for the garage.

---

**Medical Lab  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_

Wheeljack studied the remains of the dead Swarmer with the assistance of mechanical arms equipped with medical scalpels to examine the innards of the creature. A force field remained in place to prevent any unpleasant surprises from coming at him. Ratchet stood in another part of the chamber where he studied graphical charts of metabolic rates of recovery and initial growth from a larvae to fully developed drone.

Their was interrupted by the presence of Optimus marching through. His facial expression remained stern, as he walked to the chief engineer with his processor focused.

"Optimus, glad you came in."

"Have you found out anything so far?"

"Yeah, quite a fair deal, actually," Wheeljack said. "Ratchet and I have been doing preliminaries on one of the Swarmers that one of the Sentinels brought into the hold. We've been running several tests on these creatures inside and out. Their genetic makeup suggests that they share similarities with Starscream's facsimile-controlled forces. The difference being that they can infect humans on contact whereas the modified facsimiles back at Narita only infect mechanical systems."

Optimus crossed his arms while the CMO continued the briefing. "This is what we've recovered from the body of the American agent that was infected," Dobbes' corpse remained behind the confines of another sealed chamber, with multiple forcefields in place to prevent the organism that transformed him from infecting the ship or any other system nearby in the event that it regenerated. Though the possibility was slim, Ratchet and Wheeljack did not want to take any chances.

"Upon contact, the affected human gradually transforms into techno-organic circuitry biomechanical virus, the same kind that took over the imperial Knightmares back at the Narita Mountains. They create the carriers, and the infection continues on from there. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of people that can be subverted in just a few megacycles," Wheeljack explained afterwards.

"What is the rate of infection?" Prime asked.

"One hundred percent fatal to humans. In regards to us, our internal systems are capable of slowing the infection. We're still working on a means of which to remove it," Ratchet said.

"By the Matrix... is there any way we can cure them?"

"Not at this time. The only way we can prevent the infection is to take down the carriers themselves. As far as we know, the Swarmers are the prime suspect when it comes to the secretion of this virus. It's hard to determine if this has been passed on to the facsimiles who have already infiltrated the human population," the chief engineer said woefully.

"Prioritize this immediately: I want you to seek a means in which the humans who are initially infected can be cured."

"We'll do what we can," Ratchet assured him. "But I'm not going to promise anything. This is one of the most advanced weapons that the Decepticons have developed, and it'll be pretty tough to beat. Especially with the odds mounting against us."

Bumblebee called through the ship's intercom system: "Optimus, the captains of the other ships are ready for the briefing."

"I'm on my way," Prime said, before exiting outside the laboratory and marching through the ship's corridors.

---

**St. Anna's Hospital**  
**Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

After the last skirmish against the Decepticons, Jazz and the twins decided to bring Shirley to a medical installation and keep her under guard. Sunstreaker stood alongside the special ops lieutenant while Sideswipe tended to their friend.

Just a few rooms away Spike entered through. He took it upon himself to get past the police cordon by showing his badge in front of one of the officers.

"Detective Michael Whittington."

The policeman nodded and allowed him to continue unopposed. He saw the familiar figure of Jazz in his human form, sporting his beret and white jacket. The Autobot officer leaned against the wall away from view. At an angle, Spike observed that she remained unmoving but alive, with the monitors showing her vitals as stable.

"Hey," Jazz greeted to Spike as they shook hands. Spike placed his hands to his hips and glanced once more at the window before turning to face his colleague again.

"How is she holding up?" the lieutenant commander asked.

"She's fine, though the doctor said she suffered a lot from that psychological trauma. She should be up not too long now."

Spike studied her again though the glass window. "She might be able to help us with the investigation."

"Doubt it. In her state of mind I doubt she'll help us."

"I still think it's worth a shot," Spike said as he strode forth.

---

Shirley ran the scene of the dockyard battle between the Black Knights and the imperial forces in her head, over and over like an old film reel. The tendrils of the monsters that attacked Yokosuka remained foremost in her conscious. She never realized during her sleep that Christopher was sitting next to her, mindful to keep his distance yet close enough to protect her from harm. He noticed sweat drops forming from her head. She almost leaped out of her bed, shoving the young man away from her. "STAY BACK!"

"Whoa! Easy, easy, it's me!" Chris said, trying to calm her. After a brief struggle, she opened her eyes and glanced at her surroundings. She was dressed in a patient's garb, hair flowing outward. She looked at her friend and noticed that he had fresh clothes on his lap. It took a moment before the situation sunk in that she was safe.

"Christopher?" Shirley whispered

"How are you feeling?"

"Thank god, I was terrified!" , holding him in an embrace.

"It's okay, we're here," Chris said, accepting Shirley in an embrace.

"What were those things?"

"What things are you talking about?" he said, trying to remain oblivious.

"There were --" she paused, feeling the words hang in her throat before she finished her sentence, clutching her arms around herself. " -- monsters out there..."

Chris noticed her body shuddering at the nightmarish creature that nearly took her life.

"You're saying you actually saw monsters out there?"

"They were -- ohhhh..." Shirley groaned, feeling the pains sear through her brain. Chris held onto her to make sure she didn't hurt herself.

"Take it easy, you're in no condition to talk. You should get yourself some rest, you've been undergoing a lot of stress lately."

Her face lowered, she took his hands and removed them from her before she laid her head back into her pillow. She raised her right arm and covered her forehead with it, staring into the ceiling with sullen eyes. "How did I get here?"

"The military founded you. You were unconscious."

The next memory began to resurface. "There was a red Knightmare that was reaching out to me."

"You saw a red Knightmare?" Chris asked, arching one of his eyebrows in slight disbelief.

"I'm certain of it," Shirley said.

"Are you sure you're not imagining things?" the Snyder twin asked of her.

"Why would I be lying?!" she raised her body back up and shouted in a fit of hysteria.

"What's going on here?" the tending physician asked, noticing the commotion just several feet away before he barged into the room.

"Doc, it's okay," Chris motioned to the newcomer before he held onto her shoulders and gently assured her. "Shirley, please calm down."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."  
---

Moments later outside of Shirley's room, Spike noticed the commotion inside and knocked on the window, waving at the three individuals that were inside as a greeting. He gestured to himself as a nonverbal question asking if he could be let in. Sideswipe turned and nodded for the SEAL commander to enter.

"Hi there, I'm sorry for interrupting. You're Chris, right?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, I am," Sideswipe answered, playing along with the naval officer's charade.

"Do you and the doctor mind stepping out of the room for a moment?"

"Sure thing," Sideswipe said, rising to his feet before he turned to Shirley and wished her well. "You take it easy, okay?"

The doctor remained in place, unwilling to leave his patient. "Whoever you are, I would rather that you wait until --"

"I'm with the police, and I insist that you leave, doc. I have a couple of questions I need to ask her. I promise it'll be quick," Spike said.

The physician turned to the schoolgirl to see if she was alright with Spike asking her whatever he needed to know, and she gave a nod with a slight smile on her face. All that was left were Spike and Shirley. He hoped that she would be more than enough of an integral witness to find out what she knew about the battle and just how much information she had. He pulled the chair that the Pretender sat in and pulled it up next to her bed. She had a suspicious look in her eyes, curious as to who the SEAL was, but he played his cards and hided the truth of his identity through his facade as the detective.

"Hello, I'm Detective Michael Whittington with the Tokyo Police Department," Spike said while showing his badge before he pocketed it back in his jacket. "You know, I met your father not too long ago prior to the Lake Kawaguchi incident." the man said, measuring his words carefully.

Shirley studied the newcomer for a moment. He possessed a medium build, slightly heavier than Christopher, and a stubble that bore the marks of a rugged veteran. She surmised that he may have served in the Britannian army. Her guess couldn't have been more wrong, but he decided not to dwell on that and instead worked to put her mind at ease.

"My associate Nick Lumberg picked you up along with Miss Ashford and the twins back at the mall during their little... escapade. Does it ring a bell?"

She processed the explanation for a moment before she remembered who he was referring to. "Oh, I remember him. He's a nice man."

"That's good to hear," Spike smiled before he continued onward. "Shirley, the reason why I'm here is because I'm doing an investigation on several groups of conducting suspicious activities in and out of Area 11."

"On the Black Knights?" she asked.

"Not necessarily. This group is probably bigger than the Black Knights."

"Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Because there is another potential terrorist threat that we are trying to prevent, and save lives in the process."

The Ashford student pondered his words for a moment. The death of her father still stayed fresh in her conscious. He imagined himself in her position, losing a father in one of the most violent moments of her country's history. She had trouble trying to figure out what to think, except sulk in the past. Although she wasn't a member of the military, there was a chance he could bring her through. He could do nothing else except try to connect with her like a father.

"Shirley, I know you're going through a difficult time. I... know what it's like to lose a loved one. But right now, I need your help. Please."

"Who did you lose?"

"My dad," Spike replied before turning his head away. "And my wife..."

"What happened to them?"

"Dad died during the war," Spike said, being as vague as he possibly could. "And Carly died during a robbery. Wrong place at the wrong time."

Shirley nodded in sympathy for his loss. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He knew what he was getting into," Spike assured her. He remembered the time he at her death bed, when she died from arterial blood loss through one of her lungs. It was a memory he would soon not forget. When Carly laid dead in the hospital back home, Spike wanted nothing more than to exact vengeance on the man responsible for her death. Ironically, the killer himself was slain in a shootout between gang members over a drug deal, which robbed him of his chance to bring the man to justice and kill him with his bare hands. Instead, all Spike could do was move on as he always has.

After a lull in Shirley and Spike's conversation, there was a momentary silence between them. He saw that she was deep in thought. He figured he might be on the verge of finding what he was looking for.

"A woman from the government spoke to me after the battle at Narita and told me and mother about my father's death."

"Do you remember her name?" Spike asked.

Shirley rubbed the side of her temple before the answer surfaced. "She called herself... Viletta. Viletta Nu."

"Viletta Nu? You're certain of this?"

"Yes, she was the one that broke the news of Narita to me and my mother."

Spike took note of Viletta's name for future reference, and studied her further to check if there was anything left out.

"Why did she approach you in particular?"

He sensed that the girl was holding something back, and didn't want to delve into the matter any further than he already has. He recalled that she had an infatuation with the boy, and that Viletta's accusation of the young man being a terrorist struck a nerve. It was something he would have to confirm for himself.

"What exactly did she tell you?"

"I can't say."

"More like you don't want to say. Shirley, I can tell from the look in your eyes that you're trying to protect someone. Give me a name."

After hesitating momentarily, schoolgirl finally answered. "There's someone in school that I know. His name is Lelouch Lamperouge. She told that there is a possible connection between him and the Black Knights, and that he might be one of them himself."

The situation became clearer to him once the truth came out.

"Do you think he is a terrorist?" he asked.

"I didn't want to believe it at the time," she told the SEAL. "I'm not so sure anymore..."

"I'm sorry to bring this down on you. Again, I know how difficult it is to lose a friend, and hearing of a blatant accusation of someone you're close to being a suspected terrorist," the lieutenant commander finished before he rose to his feet and shook her hand in generosity. "I'll leave you be for now. Thank you for your time."  
---

Spike walked out of the patient's room where Shirley was resting. He saw Jazz talking on a cell phone before he spotted the SEAL walking towards him. The Pretender adjusted his beret and stroked his goatee before the NSA liaison made his inquiry.

"What's up?" the liaison inquired.

"I gave Shirley's mother a call. She'll be taking her back to the academy dorms once the hospital checks her out," Jazz answered. "Did you manage to find out anything??"

"She gave me a name, along with someone else you may know. Lelouch Lamperouge might have affiliations with the Black Knights," Spike explained.

"Lelouch? No, it can't be..." Jazz said, unwilling to believe what he just heard. "He's a strange kid and all but, a member of the Black Knights? No way."

"It's what we've got. She also confirmed that a woman named Viletta Nu told her. Until whatever evidence I find says otherwise, he's a suspect in my book," the SEAL elaborated. "Just outta curiosity, isn't that the same kid that you invited over to your place?"

"Yeah, prior to that we actually met him at Ashford Academy where the others attend."

"I think we might need to do a little digging. Starting with the government registries. If there's any answers that can be found, it's in those files at city hall."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"What about secur –- Never mind," Jazz said, cutting himself off and remembering who he was speaking to. Spike smiled in response and pulled his earpiece. "Delacruz, it's me."

"Yes sir?"

"Get the vehicle over to the hospital. And prep a full tactical kit on our way out."

"What for?"

"I'm going to be going through some dirty laundry."

---

**Jade Garden Club**  
**Kowloon District,** **Hong Kong**

Marissa walked forth to the target location where Yu hid. The tables were filled with people enjoying the eateries of fine cuisine that the Chinese had to offer. She proceeded further inside. Large fake plants and Ming vases were placed in different parts to add to the décor of the restaurant where the club was situated. It was quite elaborate all around, which made it a good location for members of the Triads to meet in secret and conduct their businesses illegally without interference from the Chinese government.

"I'm near the location," she whispered to Nightbeat and Chip.

"Remember, we need to find out where the Black Knights purchased the rod," the Cybertronian detective reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind," she answered before she was greeted by the guard at the door that led further inside into the club. He wore shades and an earpiece that linked with with the other Triad guards that protected the premises. The man was armed with a submachine gun, which was safetied to prevent friendly fire. He gave a suspicious look at her, and she sensed he was itching to put a few bullet holes through her anyway since foreigners were normally not welcome inside the club. Her supposed 'affiliation' with Thomas Arkeville and the company he has aligned himself with.

"Who are you?" the man said Mandarin.

"Gloria Finch, here to see Mr. Yu," she said, noticing the man's weapon pointed at her.

"Put your briefcase and keep your hands above your head," he instructed.

"Is this how you treat visitors?" Marissa said with her hands up high.

"Precautionary measures," the guard grunted. "Put your hands and face the wall."

Marissa complied with the man's order, keeping her face straight like she did back on the train ride to Lake Kawaguchi. She didn't like where the situation was going. This was an . Another guard came in and leveled an assault rifle in her direction while the first guard pulled her pistol from her holster and placed it on the table.

"Are you a member of the Britannian police?" the first guard asked bluntly.

"Do I look like I'm carrying a badge? I'm here to do business, that's all," she countered sharply. The field runner noticed afterwards that the guard stopped himself short when he was called to cease his inspection and allow her entrance into the club. He hoisted his SMG and moved the beads that blocked her path towards her intended contact.

"Come in, he's been expecting you," the guard gestured to her.

The illumination was dim throughout the room that led straight to where Fei-Wong Yu sat behind a large round table. He was seated between two Chinese women who were dressed in Siamese dresses, caressing his suit jacket. The arms dealer was heavily built, and more than a capable hand-to-hand combatant. Surrounded by numerous gunmen, Marissa kept cool and proceeded to the calm-looking individual. She hoped face-to-face meeting with a black marketeer like Yu would yield something useful once she finished conducting her business.

"Hello, I take it you are Ms. Gloria Finch?" he said, trying to brighten the mood due to the tension of all the guards inside keeping an eye on her.

"Yes, from Lukas International inventory assets division," Marissa answered, adjusting her glasses.

"I am familiar with that company and one of its senior members. You work on behalf of Thomas Arkeville, correct?"

"I do."

"Alright then," Yu said as he leaned forward, dismissing the two girls that were next to him so that he and Marissa could talk in private. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence here, Ms. Finch?"

"I'm looking for the group that created something of specific interest to my company. My employer is more than willing to pay a hefty sum to get this information from you, as well as secure the item of which I'm about to request. To that end, I'm sure he would be very disappointed if I came back to him empty-handed."

"Very well then, what is this item that you seek?"

"A high-pressure sakuradite rod, usually used for demolitions. The one that I'm actually referring to is a heavily modified one that was during the Battle of Narita."

"Ah, I'm familiar with that particular object," Yu said with a nod.

Marissa's lips curved into a smile, thinking that she brought the transaction to a close. "Then you know what I'm looking for?"

"Yes, but just out of curiosity, why do you seek to purchase the rod?"

She laid out the lie and hoped that he would buy it. "My company is conducting research on adapting the rod's technology for further utilization beyond its original design parameters. I'm actually looking for the researcher so we can adapt it more easily. Do you happen to know who the creator of this rod is?"

"I'm afraid I can't divulge that information, Ms. Finch," Yu answered earnestly.

"Is that so?" Marissa said with a frown.

"Oh, come now. You know the rules of the trade just as well as I do when it comes to keeping secrets. Surely we business folk have to uphold our secrecy in order for our respective businesses to thrive, no?"

Marissa took out her briefcase, opened it, and displayed the contents in front of Yu while laying portfolios next to the case as an additional incentive. Inside were large numbers of Britannian pounds, which was more than enough money to bribe the man into talking. Money is a powerful motivator, and judging by the look on his face, she surmised that it wouldn't be long before he caved in to her offer. Instead, he leaned against his chair and politely refused the cash.

"Ms. Finch, as much as I am tempted to accept your gracious amount, I'm afraid I still cannot go up on your offer."

"This here is one and a half million pounds of imperial currency. You're telling me you're not interested in taking it just for a small bit of information?"

It took a moment before Yu answered: "Yes."

The field runner readjusted her glasses and began shelving her papers before shutting the briefcase closed. "Well, if you're not willing to take up on my offer, then there is no point for me in staying, is there?"

"Marissa, what in blazes are you doing?" Nightbeat shouted through the comm line.

The arms dealer raised his arm to stop her from darting out the room."Wait!"

"What now? I'm obviously wasting my time here."

"Let's not be too hasty, eh? Please, sit," Yu gestured to her.

Marissa considered the notion for a moment. Her bluff worked in her favor, the man would help her in exchange for a large sum of money, just as his profile said. In the business of black marketeering in the dark corners out on the edge of the Chinese Federation, money was true power.

"I have reconsidered your offer. I will assist Now why would a foreigner like yourself suddenly come to our place and ask questions about our partners, whom we trade with extensively?" Yu asked cautiously.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to explain, Mr. Yu. Let's just say, that we have a financial stake in a competition against our rivals in Area 11, and that the researcher's assistance would be much appreciated in balancing the scales in our favor."

"Fair enough. Though, I also must ask: why not just purchase it directly from the Black Knights? Surely they have a reasonable quantity of the item that you are searching for."

"Mr. Arkeville sent me to deal with you specifically. Since you're familiar with the weapons trade in the black market, I figured we'd make a deal," she said to him. "Besides, the Black Knights have gone dark, so it's impossible to contact them at this time."

"Very well then. How much is inside that case?"

"Based on the yield of the rod, we are more than willing to offer you one and a half million pounds."

"That's quite a bit of money for purchasing a single rod. I might need more to set up the meeting with the researcher you desperately want to meet."

"My understanding is that it is quite powerful in terms of its function. And based on what's been said about Narita, it delivers."

Yu stroked his chin for a moment. "I'll see what I can do. I cannot guarantee that I can secure. Will you be in town for the next few days?"

"Yes, I will be," Marissa said. As the two conversed further, they concluded their meeting with a handshake, and Yu taking just a third of the money, along with a business card where she can be contacted by satellite phone. She assured him that he would get the rest upon the actual meeting with the researcher of the rod. The issue remained of finding the actual stockpile of the material and prevent them from being used against the Autobot forces, while at the same time nullifying the Black Knights' capabilities to harm others. It was a situation that would eventually be dealt with by Prime's forces once they were found and secured.

"Did you catch all that?" the field runner whispered, making sure that she was by herself in an alley next to the outbound traffic.

"We did. Good job, Marissa, looks like we got ourselves a lead. Now all we need to do is wait for them to contact you and everything else should be good to go," Nightbeat said before he corrected himself. "Almost."

"All we can do now is wait," Marissa said, walking back to where her friends were located. Waiting was the worst thing that could ever happen on a mission of critical importance. It was the only thing that they could do, until Yu procured a time and place upon which Marissa would meet with the researcher. She continued walking forth and disappeared into the crowd, making sure that no one pursued her. Out in the distance, however, was a man who peered high above with a pair of binoculars, making sure not to lose sight of the woman as she walked amidst the populace.

**End of Chapter 22 **

Author's Note:

Not much to say. Hope you enjoyed the conversation between Spike and Shirley, since I'm aiming to give our dear NSA liaison/SEAL officer a little more depth.

Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!

As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far and gave honest feedback. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)

An additional thanks to SC for inputs on ideas to keep this in motion.


	28. Chapter 23 Trades and Secrecy

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Megatron seeks to even the scales against the military might of the Autobot forces with the help of a wanted intergalactic arms dealer and ruthless mercenaries. Meanwhile, Spike returns back to the city hall to cull information from files left in Joseph Fenette's personal computer and the government registries.**

* * *

**Chapter 23 – Trades and Secrecy **

**Lukas International Main Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Megatron was displeased at the defeat back at Yokosuka, but he was even more so at the fact that Starscream dared to double-cross him for disobeying his directives. Though it wasn't that he never saw it coming, he couldn't afford the chance at Starscream robbing him dominion over those that were faithful to him and his cause. The flyer always had a penchant for wanting to wrest power from the warlord, but never grasped the entire picture when it came to strategic operations.

The Seeker floated inside a liquid-suspension chamber. Escape for the former second-in-command was impossible. Megatron knew that Starscream, despite his flaws, was more than clever enough to try to take the reins of leadership and rule his army in his place. Yet he knew beforehand that his trust was misplaced when the aerospace commander's schemes slowly began to unravel in the past few weeks. It was a mistake that he intended to rectify with his soldiers to bear witness. As the warlord positioned himself in front where Starscream remained still, Soundwave stood right near the console, ready to release a tankful of Piranhacons at his master's command. Many of the soldiers, including the triple-changers, the Predacons, and Starscream's fellow Seekers watched in silence, awaiting the next phase of the aerospace commander's punishment.

"Awaken him," Megatron ordered. The aerospace commander eventually came online, with his optics lit up bright red. Whatever words he attempted to speak were gurgled out due to the presence of the liquid inside his ad hoc prison. Soundwave adjusted the settings of the substance inside the chamber so that the Seeker could speak. The black-helmed mechanoid snickered at the sight of his leader scowling at him.

"Well, if it isn't the almighty Megatron..."

"Good to know that your memory circuits are still intact," Megatron countered before he got straight to the point of his visit. "I want the access codes to the safe that contains an important item which belongs to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the flyer answered, trying to lie his way out of the warlord's inquiry.

"Soundwave, bring the tank online."

The communications officer obeyed, and activated a switch that positioned a large cylindrical container housing several Piranhacons; vicious bio-mechanical creatures that swam about in the same liquid that kept Starscream alive. Just like the Swarmers, they harbored a sense of hunger to feed upon the flesh of organics. In Starscream's case, he would do just as likely to fulfill their burning need to consume his metallic skin and make him beg for mercy.

"Perhaps this will give you incentive to allow me access to the Golden Disk." Megatron threatened, as his red optics turned into narrow slits, and his patience wearing extremely thin.

"You know just as well as I that I won't do it."

The warlord frowned with a menacing look on his face. "You will give me access to the safeas I require. Or, I shall have you dismembered piece by piece, and personally extract the information from your core processor."

"The codes are ingrained inside my core conscious with multiple encryptions, so you won't be able to crack them. Only I have access to the safe. The disk and all its contents will never be yours, along with the power you so desperately seek."

Starscream smiled in triumph. The Seeker understood that Megatron could not access his private safe. He held a false notion that he could dish out whatever punishment that the Decepticon leader intended to bring upon him. Though he would soon find out just how far the warlord is willing to go to get what he wants.

"As you wish. Release the Pirahacons!"

The doors that held the fish-like creatures whirred open, and the aliens swooped down from their confines into Starscream's chamber. Many of them watched in horror as they bit away at the flyer's metallic skin. His screams could be heard throughout the entire facility. Megatron intended this as a warning to those who dared to cross him as the Seeker had. He figured that the lesson was more than enough to bring the troops back in line. He was in no position to afford any betrayals, especially with the Autobot forces cordoning off the Sol system from any reinforcements.

"Let this serve as a reminder to those who would dare to even think of scheming against me! Do I make myself clear?"

Several nods from those that were present in the torture chamber. Thundercracker, Skywarp, and several others staggered back at the sight of the fish-like creatures chewing away at Starscream. Megatron leaned his servos against a nearby podium.

"Good, because as of now the infiltration process will fall back to phase two! It will not move up or down without my explicit instructions! Now get back to your posts!"

In nanoseconds the assembly of troops dispersed from the chamber. He could see from their reactions (excluding the Predacons) that they were afraid they'd end up in pieces. Even the human facsimiles that worked on the premises cowered in fear, as the warlord expected them to. He knew that he'd put everyone in their place. He glanced at the cylindrical chamber where Starscream's body floated, as wirings and circuitry spilled outward from the bite marks where the Piranhacons ate him. Megatron motioned Soundwave to deactivate the creatures for the time being until the Seeker regained conscious. He was far from done with him.

After the spectacle with Starscream's torture, Megatron walked to his the communications terminal where he would talk with a certain intergalactic arms dealer that had ties and access to highly advanced weaponry. Especially dangerous ones that would make the Autobots balk and bring them and the human imperials that ruled this alternate Earth to their knees. And that individual was none other than the mechanoid known throughout Megatron's inner circle as Swindle.

Swindle was a former member of the Decepticon strike team called the Combaticons, who specialized in procuring illegal military hardware from different alien races. The dealer thrived off his customers like a vulture. But he was more than smart enough not to cross Megatron, lest the warlord put a bounty on his head. Megatron saw him as a necessity to help advance his plans for Area 11. When the connection was established, the arms dealer expressed his surprise that the warlord was not out as it has been rumored throughout the majority of the Decepticon ranks.

"Megatron, you old warmonger! It's been stellar cycles!" Swindle exclaimed, ever his jovial self. "You look great by the way."

"Spare me the platitudes, Swindle. I have need of your services."

"That's what I love about you, straight to the point," the dealer chirped. "What do you need? I've got some pretty sweet deals for you."

"I require an item which I understand that you still have in your possession and haven't sold to anyone as of yet."

"Ah, I believe you're referring the sub-component 137."

"Yes, that one," Megatron answered. He wanted the combiner technology specifically for the Predacons, since he planned to have it installed in their chassis during the Great War but has been unable to do so under the circumstances. Sub-component 137 is the successor to its predecessor material, and served as a linking mechanism that allowed the Cybertronians involved in the combiner process to merge. The component acted as a buffer so that the personalities that comprised the gestalt did not become lost while in that state of transformation, since they would become one mind. Previous endeavors in refining the process were unsuccessful until the advent of 137, and the Decepticon leader intended to get his servos on it.

"I can get it to you, but it'll cost you…" Swindle said, keeping one servo up.

Megatron frowned at the arms dealer, putting his servos on the forehead of his white helm. "Ugh… how much?"

"Nine hundred thousand Solarian credits."

"Out of the question. Six hundred thousand," the warlord countered. He had little time to deal with Swindle's annoying sense of greed. At that moment, he was tempted to order an assassin to be rid of him. In these trying times, he had no alternative but to rely on the business savvy merchant to even the score against the Autobots. They had dominance of the space beyond the Earth's atmosphere, but he controlled the ground through his intermediaries within three world powers. He needed the technology that Swindle had in his possession to keep the balance of power that way.

The arms dealer made a counteroffer. "Seven hundred thousand, then."

Megatron knew where this was heading. Swindle founded an opportunity to take whatever was left in the coffers of the warlord's monetary assets after the Autobot-Decepticon conflict was over, the majority of them seized by Prime's forces. Since the warlord had no other option but to tap the reserves that he had hidden from his enemy, Swindle figured that the amount of credits that the former gladiator had in his possession would be more than ample payment. It gave the dealer a window to test and see how far his favorite customer was willing to get it.

"Unfortunately prices have gone up. Word is that Ultra Magnus tightened security around even the most lightly guarded systems. It'll be difficult bringing the shipment over without the Autobots noticing."

The warlord nodded. "I believe that can be rectified, provided that you give me what I want."

"Surely you understand that the delivery of the goods does not come without risk. The higher the risk, the more expensive it's going to get," Swindle explained with a sinister smile.

"Six hundred and fifty, that is my final offer. Take it or leave it."

"You got yourself a deal," the merchant chirped.

Nodding, Megatron leaned back away from the screen as he crossed his arms. "Now that we have that affair settled, who will be the individual that will ensure the delivery of the shipment?"

"Another good customer like yourself. Provided that I get the amount of credits I require, I give the goods."

"Very well then. Ensure that it arrives promptly. I will provide the coordinates for the delivery site along with your payment."

"Good, I'll be keeping in touch then," Swindle finished before he faded out of view from the monitor.

"Soundwave," Megatron said.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Send a subspace transmission to our agent back in our universe that we need a package delivered to us right away. Swindle will be the point of contact where the item will be picked up."

"As you command, Lord Megatron.  
_ _ _

**Command Ship **_**Trion  
**_**Earth Orbit, Alternate Sol System**

Prowl stood in front of the conference table at full height, memorizing the movements and strategic composition of the Decepticon forces in their universe, trying to get an insight of the enemy's overall objectives in the different regions of space. Most of the senior officers present, including the ship commanders that accompanied Prime's forces to Area 11 kept stern faces as they reviewed the latest intelligence feeds on their data pads and compared it to what they saw.

"We now have operational control of the space around Sol, with a tight net of sensor arrays positioned across different worlds in the system. Due to the setup of the detection grid, any ship that attempts to enter within five planets near Earth will not be able to navigate through Sol without being detected," Prowl said.

One of the ship commanders, aptly named Warstar, interrupted the brief. "I've hearing reports from friendly ships back in our universe that Stryka's forces has pushed deeper into the Montauk sector and has attacked three planets within that region, mostly harassment actions to divert our vessels that are nearby. Is it true?"

Prowl watched as the faces around the room changed, making the atmosphere quite uncomfortable. The mention of Stryka brought fear in the sparks of the majority of commanders out in space and on the field. She is a Decepticon general of high caliber. Along with Obsidian she has defeated entire armies under the Autobot regime. Her ruthlessness and strategic cunning rivaling Prowl's made her a dangerous adversary, and one that wasn't to be taken lightly.

"It is," the deputy commander answered.

Despite their fears, all of the officers remained poised and focused, keeping their audio receptors open. One of the ship captains asked: "What's their objective?"

"That I'll get to shortly." Prowl said while aiming the remote to the strategic map AI. "Computer, display tactical grids in sub-sector 93106."

The strategic map of their universe's galaxy expanded to three star systems, consisting of a cluster of planets which edged near two nebula cloud banks. The computer then highlighted the sites in which enemy starships have pushed inward towards Autobot-controlled space. Friendly space-faring vessels were dispersed throughout regions were marked as green, with arrows indicating the direction in which enemy warships were last sighted.

"Over the last five solar cycles the Decepticons have been making a push into the Beta Tyconis and the Montauk systems. Durani VII is the perfect staging point for Stryka's forces to assemble in secret, due to the interference from the nebulas to our sensors. The system is also close enough to deploy ships through multiple star systems."

"Random incidents?" Optimus inquired.

"From what we could determine, no. The Decepticons forces still loyal to Megatron have been making concerted efforts in which to weaken our hold on the border worlds. By themselves, they wouldn't do anything significant against us," Prowl explained, before he activated a console switch that altered the tactical map display. The various systems shown to the officers in the conference room illustrated several red dots indicating enemy fleets that penetrated Autobot space and were pushing deeper towards outlying colony worlds. The groups of hostile vessels were displayed as the iconic purple facial insignia that marked the locations which the Decepticons encroached upon.

"In conjunction, however, they would be able to draw our fleets out far enough so that they can push further in and take control of a transwarp gate. If they seize control of a gate, we could very well have a situation in our hands that we'll be dealing with a highly adaptive enemy force that is capable of breaking through our net and confront our fleet head on."

All of the other commanders in the chamber nodded in understanding. Others remained still while Prowl continued the brief. The map display changed to a topographical view of the Tokyo Settlement and other areas around Japan. Prime's optics narrowed as the deputy commander explained the activity of enemy forces in the country, including the imperialists and other factions that would be obstacles to removing the Decepticon threat.

"On to the subject of the enemy troops here on Earth, the Decepticons in Area 11 haven't shown any signs of movement recently, since they're recovering from the last skirmish against our forces. But I don't think that's the only reason."

"What's your take on this, sir?" asked another one of the officers present.

"I suspect that Megatron doesn't want to leave Earth just yet. The Golden Disk is still somewhere here on Earth, and he'll scour the entire planet if he has to in order to get his servos on it. I also believe that the enemy has brought its infiltration protocol back to phase two, since tensions have been rising between the European forces and the Britannians that are garrisoned in the Atlantic near the European continent."

"Then we'll need to cordon off the system to prevent Megatron's reinforcements from breaking through," Prime concluded. "What of the Britannian situation?"

"To date, there have been incursions in Southern Europe, East Africa and Central Asia against EU holdings by Britannian imperial forces. Since the Decepticons have place agents within each nation's respective governments, they are in position to instigate conflict against one another on a global scale, making it easier for Megatron to divert any focus away from his armies. If those ships manage to break through into Sol, then we're going to be in for a rough time. It is imperative that we prevent those reinforcements from getting here."

"Very well, then. Whatever additional suggestions you all may have, do not hesitate to bring it up to me. We will reconvene in the next nine megacycles," Optimus said finished, all of the other commanders stood on their feet. "Dismissed."  
_ _ _

Prowl and Optimus walked side by side through the vast corridors of the lower decks inside the command ship, en route to the hangar bay to check on the status of the Aerialbots' fighter drills with the Alpha Sentinels. The lights illuminated for every step that they took towards the main spacecraft hold. Before they moved any further, Prime stopped near a viewport so that he could take a look at Earth. Prowl took notice of his leader's distracted state and stood alongside the taller mechanoid. Curious as to what was going on in the processor of the Matrix bearer, the deputy commander made his inquiry in earnest.

"Is there something wrong, Optimus?"

Prime clasped his hands behind his back before he spoke: "I wanted to talk to you personally about the next phase of our operation that we'll be going over in the second briefing."

"Care to elaborate, sir?"

"This stays between you and me: Jetfire and the Kimia Institute have been working on the completion of a new experimental weapons system. Once out in the field, it could help turn the tides of the war in our favor. Unfortunately, it will not be out soon enough. We will need to temporarily disperse our forces that are already near and maintain a presence near the European borders."

"If I may ask, what purpose?"

"Since it looks like the Europeans are on the verge of war against the Britannians, we may have to extend our coverage around the planet. They do not know that the Decepticons are pushing both of their governments towards that direction."

"I have a strange feeling where this conversation's going to go..." Prowl said.

"Therefore, we will be conducting covert operations to repel an upcoming Britannian attack on the EU outpost in North Africa. To that end, I am placing the Wreckers and Omega Supreme under your command. Since the extent of the Decepticons' infiltration is widespread, it is imperative that we act now."

"Yes sir."

"There is something else," Prime said, moving on to his next point. "You mentioned in your reports that there may be several probable locations in which Aerospace Extermination Squadrons are stationed throughout Africa?"

"I did, but as I mentioned earlier, the Decepticons have concentrated most of their efforts on the European continent. The units that we suspect to be situated on the African continent haven't shown any indications of movement yet."

"Which is why you will be conducting a joint operation with the Americans upon their arrival to derail enemy operations in around the Mediterranean."

The Autobot deputy commander nodded while his superior continued on: "And when they do, the forces under your charge will disguise themselves as EU personnel stationed abroad. You will be masquerading as an EU colonel in charge of five Knightmare companies, with the Wreckers and a few support troops hidden from view."

"What about the outpost in Tokyo?"

Prime stared into the viewport, where a had a good look of the Earth above, in its serene beauty. "For now, the facility will continue to be manned by a skeleton crew. A few megacycles ago I have contacted President Freeman about sending additional personnel. He has conferred with his cabinet and they have agreed in lending us a secondary team from the NSA. Suffice to say, it was not easy to get that support due to heavy opposition from members of his administration and from other branches within the government."

Prowl nodded. "I would imagine so, since the Americans have been focusing with other nations on reconstruction efforts back on Earth in our universe."

"Yes. To that end, we will be assisting the Europeans in repelling Britannian forces while searching for the Decepticon strongholds within the area and neutralize them. They just won't be knowing it."

Prowl offered a smile, contrast to his usually serious demeanor. "It's as the humans say: 'two birds with one stone'. It's a workable strategy. Let's just hope they don't notice before they realize that we're not one of them."

Optimus turned his head back and glanced at the Earth from the _Trion_, like a god watching over a sacred garden."We can only hope."  
_ _ _

**Rooftop  
City Hall, Tokyo Settlement **

High above the premises in the darkness of night, the Wrecker commando Whirl flew en route to the target destination with a signal dampener active inside his chassis. The local air defense grids showed no indication that they detected him, allowing the Autobot flyer to ferry his NSA passengers unharmed. Inside the main hold, Farmer and another agent worked on making adjustments to Spike's gear before he touched down. The two operatives threw in a couple of gadgetry (including smoke grenades, frag grenades and flashbangs) that would aid the liaison in case he came across any trouble. Spike on the other hand made adjustments to his Five-Seven pistol and attaching the silencer onto the muzzle of the weapon.

Spike stood on the side of Whirl, as the Wrecker carried him over. As soon as they closed the distance, the mechanoid gunship lowered him onto the roof and helped the SEAL land safely. As soon as Spike's feet were on the ground, he drew out his pistol and cocked it while leveling at a semi-circular arc to sweep for enemies before he holstered his weapon. He then stood upright and contacted the airborne personnel.

"Guys, I'm on deck. Stay close in case I need you to get me out of here. Farmer, keep an eye out for any suspicious activity near my location."

"Acknowledged, we'll be nearby in case you need us. Good luck, sir," Farmer replied.

Spike took a rappelling cable and hooked it against the rail near Whirl's motor before going down against the glass windows of the roof, with the darkness of the night masking his presence in front of the apartment building. He scaled against the building walls carefully, keeping the night vision goggles above his head. In less than sixty seconds he executed a fast descent onto the top of the building until he landed onto his feet. Whirl lifted himself up to 300 feet away from Spike's position, circling around the area once the SEAL's mission was complete.

Taking cover as quickly as possible, Spike readjusted his mask and goggles before he climbed into the ventilation shaft and crawled through into the duct that led into the upper floors of the structure. He crouched near a pipe, latching on a rappelling cable and leaned against the vertical duct, which was a long way down. He checked his OPSAT again to verify the coordinates of the distance from his original insertion point, which was at least sixty meters away.

"Mad Dog to Mailman, comms check."

"We're here, sir," Farmer replied.

"How's it looking on infrared?"

"Heat signatures shows a light number of personnel. Should be easy pickings."

"Right," was all Spike said afterwards. After twenty minutes of navigating his way through the wide corridors of the city hall, he spotted a guard within walking distance and took cover behind one of the walls. He rolled forth into one of the desks, avoiding the flashlight that beamed near his location. He saw the late economic advisor's office about a hundred meters ahead.

Cautiously, he dashed forward and took cover again under one of the desks. Spike poked his head out to check his surroundings, making sure the coast was clear before he proceeded further in. He stopped at Fenette's office, tearing the police tape that impeded his view before he looked through the glass window, and saw that the computer was still inside. The SEAL took out his satchel and dispensed a lockpick, inserting it into the keyhole. He fiddled with the doorknob momentarily before he unlocked the door, entered inside, and shut it behind him. There was a window that made a perfect escape route in case things got dicey, which he hoped that it wouldn't.

"Now, let's see what we've got here." Spike whispered, activating Joseph's computer. Strangely enough, the desktop was still on, which meant that someone else must've tried to access whatever was stored inside the PC just recently. Unfazed, the chief liaison navigated his way through the financial portfolios. Generic items such as rise and fall of stock, technological acquisitions were prevalent throughout the majority year. Then he founded what he thought were financial holdings that belonged to Lukas International, among various other private organizations. As he navigated further, he stopped at a directory which required a password login to access whatever was inside.

_**Password required.**_

"Hmm, interesting."

He ran a number of possibilities in what the password would be. At first sight Spike figured that Joseph wasn't the type to keep secrets, unless he felt he was being watched? The SEAL suspected that the dead man might've been caught in the middle of a government conspiracy to overthrow the second princess. The difficulty remained in proving that it was Arkeville and the Decepticon facsimiles that were instigating these events.

Spike glanced at the photograph of the Fenette family, pondering what the answer may be. He looked around the room, through the bookshelves, through the file cabinets, and through the desk drawers. All of them were filled with useless information that wouldn't help him crack the terminal any time soon. Then he thought of the deceased man's daughter as the first probable answer.

_Shirley_.

_**Incorrect password, please try again**_, the computer displayed in bold letters.

_Well, obviously that didn't work, _he thought bitterly. Spike glanced around the bookshelves before another thought came up, and typed another password again.

_Precious_.

_**Incorrect password, please try again**__, _the terminal repeated.

"Argh, just great..." Spike groaned quietly, tempted to break the computer monitor, feeling as if it was taunting him. He pulled a wire out of his OPSAT hacking module and connected it to the computer. As he initiated the hack, the gadget cycled through different ciphers to decipher the password combination to access the data inside the computer. The module's utility to forcibly hack its way through standard computers never ceased to amaze him.

"Hello, what's this?" Spike said, arching his eyebrows in interest.

The chief liaison sifted through the different files through their root directories. He looked at financial figures. Transactions between different organizations that occurred over the past few weeks. He stopped himself when he came across line items which containing monies deposited electronically. They looked like bank account numbers, but Joseph Fenette was by no means a banker, making the SEAL wonder: _Why was it being funneled into his terminal specifically?_

"Cosmos, Cosmos this is Spike, over."

White noise filled the earpiece before the transmission was established. "Go ahead, sir."

"I need your help. Contact Chip and put him on the line."

"Affirmative, wait one," the comm tech advised. It wasn't long before a connection was established and the analyst spoke through the SEAL's earpiece.

"Spike, this is Chip. What's up?"

"I'm inside Joe Fenette's office. Doing some digging on intel that could be useful to us. I think I might've founded a lead and was wondering if you could lend a hand."

"Anything of particular interest?"

"From what I can see, it looks like Joe must've stumbled onto evidence that there's someone else in the government collaborating with Arkeville's group. There's a couple of transactions listed over here with no address. I think Thomas made calls to the banks to wire 'em over to wherever he called him from, and Joe must've known beforehand."

"Didn't he tell you something about Arkeville a while back?"

"From my recollection, Joe said he met him a few years ago during a conference at the convention center hotel. What I'm thinking right now is that another one of Fenette's subordinates had contact with him recently. I've opened a socket that'll allow you root access inside the terminal," Spike said.

"Okay... alright, I'm in. Checking through right now to see what else I can cull from the data you retrieved."

"And while you're at it, see if you can pull up anything on a Lelouch Lamperouge. I'm gonna be checking the government registries shortly to see what data is available on him."

"Don't worry, I got it. Let's see here: Lelouch Lamperouge. Currently 17, born in the Britannian mainland in 2000 out in one of the colonial provinces. Has a sister named Nunnally. Inherited all familial assets from his deceased mother, who died around 2010 due to a fatal accident."

"That's _it_?"the SEAL scoffed, feeling incredulous at what little information was yielded. "There's gotta be more than that."

"Yeah. Wait a sec, I think I might've found something."

Spike held back the urge to whoop with joy. "What?"

"It looks like the file on him has something that's encrypted. My terminal can't break it from here."

Stroking his chin, the liaison's curiosity piqued. His suspicions slowly grew that Lelouch wasn't an ordinary boy, and the possibility that he was hiding something grew on the lieutenant commander.

"What's the issue?"

"I've never seen this kind of cryptography before. The keys have some kind of mechanism in place that's preventing me from seeing the whole picture on this guy. Everything prior to 2010 and after 2000 shows indications of missing data packets. Spike, I think Lelouch's file has been altered."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like I hit some kind of brick wall."

"So what do we do, then?"

"I can tell you which box the data is on. We might be able to decode it from there."

"Alright then, which server is it stored on?" the SEAL inquired.

"I'm pulling the building schematic now. Here we go... Server 7E, it's situated on the third floor. The one for the data regarding Lukas International is on 3R. Keep in mind that there's a security camera inside that room, so it'll have to be disabled before you proceed."

"Roger that," Spike replied before heard tires screeching. He glanced out the window and saw the vehicle that unloaded the group of uniformed men armed with what appeared to be submachine guns. They offloaded one-by-one, gathering in formation up front.

"Chip, problem: looks like I got company outside. A black van just pulled up a couple of streets away. Probably a clean-up crew. I'm gonna go dark and head to the server room."

"Best hurry then," the hacker advised.

Spike disconnected the hacking module and exited the office quickly. En route, he checked his OPSAT to navigate his way through the spaces and make sure he was heading in the right direction. Once he reached the third floor, he spotted a roving security guard that patrolled the premises. Waiting for the right moment, Spike snuck from the side and locked his arms around the man underneath his head. His hold was tight enough to snap the guard's neck if need be. Spike hoped the fear of the darkness was enough to persuade the lad to give the information he wants.

"Do not make a sound. Call for help and you're a dead man."

"Who are you?" the guard gasped, struggling for air.

"I'm the bogeyman."

"W-what do you want from me?"

"I need you to point me to the shortest route to the server room."

"I can't tell you."

"Perhaps I should give you a reason to do otherwise," Spike whispered, holding his combat knife by the blade towards the man's right eyeball. "You can tell me what I wanna know, or you can lose an eye. Either way, I'm going to get that information."

"Through the second hallway -- on the left," the guard choked before talking again: "-- then take another turn and go straight."

"Thanks. Lights out, kid," the SEAL whispered as he tightened his chokehold and cut off the blood circulation to the guard's head. Once the body went limp, Spike looked around for a janitor's closet and dumped the man's body in there. He closed the door shut and broke the lock to prevent him from escaping as he sought his objective.  
_ _ _

Outside of the building that Spike infiltrated, the black van drove off where it unloaded six mercenaries, all of them loaded for bear. The men were armed with MP5-SDs, all of them masked and donning unmarked black uniforms. They were former test subjects that Arkeville acquired throughout his journeys in the Americas back in their universe. Enhanced by their cybernetic implants, they only retained part of their human characteristics, and what resulted afterwards was a unique combination of man and machine. Since they were on Arkeville's payroll, they answered to nobody but him.

All of them had an eye implant that enabled night vision, allowing them to amplify existing light sources in their surroundings to distinguish objects in the dark. But their most dangerous asset, aside from the weapons that they wielded, was their prowess. Through vigorous training and physical regimen, the capabilities that added to their strength took them a step above regular men, making them dangerous even to Third Echelon's personnel.

"Mr. Arkeville, we're on site," the lead mercenary radioed in via satellite phone.

"Alright then, Vernes. Your job is simple: get inside and retrieve the data that's stored inside the building. Do it quietly. If anyone gets in your way, kill them."

"Yes sir," Vernes replied before he began briefing his men. "Just to reiterate, we're going to be doing a sweep. Mr. Arkeville wants us to do a sweep inside the building. Our main objective is to retrieve data that's stored in a server on the third floor. Resistance is going to be light so the job should be quick. Let's move!"

Nodding, the other five men advanced to an alternate entry point inside city hall. One of them stopped in front of a breaker box and pulled a pair of wire cutters. The operative opened the box and placed it in front before cutting the wires to the security system and commercial power. All of the mercenaries that were in front of the side door broke in without triggering the alarm. As they entered, red bulbs lit up the stairway, indicating that the building switched to emergency power.  
Once they were inside, they made their advances up the stairs to find the third floor.

Once he reached the server room, Spike broke the lock that prevented access inside the space with his knife and checked for the security camera that Chip mentioned earlier. He saw the dome-shaped device and shot it with his silenced pistol. The SEAL officer pulled a sticky cam and placed it next to the door before proceeding inside.

"Alright, I'm in the server room now," Spike radioed to his friend.

"Okay, there should be a terminal situated somewhere next to the servers."

The SEAL officer swiveled his head until he spotted a monitor with an underside keyboard just a few feet away. "Found it."

Spike approached the registry computer and sifted through the information as quickly as he could. Feeling a sense of urgency, he moved to the list of citizens that were labeled under 'L' and continued onward before he stopped at 'Lamperouge'. The data that initially showed what Chip explained earlier. Perplexed, Spike ran through as much of the details as he could before he stumbled onto the same roadblock that prevented his NSA colleague from finding whatever information was hidden on Lelouch.

Sighing heavily, he looked into whatever available information wasn't locked and pulled up a column of numbers containing financial data, along with other relevant items of interest. The liaison surmised that the student saved his monetary assets in an overseas account. The amounts that Spike saw was enough for the boy to make a substantial living. He needed to dig deeper into the file in order to make the connection, if there was any.

The first checking account seemed normal. All of his monetary assets appeared to be carried over from his deceased mother. Then there was a separate account with several transactions that occurred over the past few weeks. Many that numbered to hundreds of thousands in pounds. Whatever happened to the cash remained unclear.

_Lelouch Lamperouge is obviously wealthy. The question is, where is all this money coming from? And where is it being transferred to? _

"Chip, I managed to get access to the kid's information, but it still looks like that it might be a dead end. The money trails doesn't terminate, and the recipients are encoded. Any ideas?"

"Go ahead and connect your OPSAT to the computer. I'm going to see if I can hack into the file and attempt to decode it again."

"Do what you can, I'll get back to you shortly," Spike called before he took out his sticky cam and placed it directly through different offices in the passageway adjacent to the server room. He placed the PDA next to his terminal so that he had a clear view if any 'visitors' decided to drop by, which he expected would be soon.

"Bad news, Spike. Looks like I have no dice from my end, you'll have to physically disconnect the hard drives from the server racks. It's only a fragment of data. If you want the whole set, you'll have to physically retrieve the hard drive that contains the root file."

"Roger. Where is it located at?"

"Okay, now the server should be located somewhere on a rack under 25D," Chip said.

Spike took the PDA from the terminal to keep track of activity outside of his position and went to the indicated spot. He swept his eyes all around until he saw the piece of hardware. "I see the first one."

"Good. Now, you're going to have to disconnect the first and second batch of wirings located behind the drive. Do the brown ones first, then the yellow."

Spike pulled a gerber that had a screwdriver segment and loosened the wirings that Chip instructed him to take out. He held the object, which weighed less than a pound, and stashed it.

"Alright I got the first one."

"Okay, the schematic on the second hard drive is identical to the first so all you have to do is repeat the process as you just did."

"Roger, I'm moving to the next one now," Spike answered, racing ahead of the mercenaries that were intent on taking the hard drive inside the space.  
_ _ _

The Lukas International mercenaries swept each floor. Until one of them stumbled until a pair of patrolling security personnel. Vernes signaled his men to advance cautiously while they conducted their sweep. The masked Caucasian commander took a random direction, having one of his personnel follow him to cover his back. The two men stopped and hid near one of the desks while Vernes directed his operation with precision and care, trying to encroach the guards and stop them before they warn their allies.

"What the -- SECURITY BREACH!" warned one of the guards.

A mercenary leveled his silenced MP5 in the hapless man's direction and fired two shots in the chest. The guard fell on his back while his compatriot panicked at the sight of the dead body. In response, the second patrolman took cover and called out for help via radio.

"Waylan, we've got unidentified intruders on the third floor, send help!"

"Son of a bitch..." growled another one of the LI troopers, who was just several feet away as the man sent the transmission. He snuck behind the man and slammed his weapon at the base of the guard's skull, killing him instantly. The merc fished out the deceased man's radio and listened in on the chatter. All of the Britannian security guards that were stationed in the building were converging on their position. And they called the police to send additional backup.

"Unit Four to Unit One, I just picked up a radio off one of the guards, expect company within the next ten minutes," the merc informed his commander. "There are cops that'll be coming, too."

Irate, Vernes issued the next order to the man: "Copy. Units, Five, and Three move to our location and get ready for some action. Unit Four, work with Unit Two on retrieving that hard drive."

Back to where Vernes was situated he checked his magazine and reinserted it into his MP5. He figured the amount of ammunition that he had would be more than enough to riddle the opposition to their deaths. Just a few more seconds passed before nine guards barged from downstars onto the third floor and began conducting their search for the LI mercenaries. Vernes held his ground and sighted his first targets among seven incoming contacts, killing two guards that dared to step within fifty meters of his team's line.

Hearing the commotion outside, Spike checked his PDA and narrowed his eyes at the sight of the mercenaries outside of the server room. He sped up as fast as he could in disconnecting the second hard drive that contained data on Lukas International. After the SEAL finished with the brown wires he stashed the electronic device into his satchel and cocked his pistol, ready for action.

"Got 'em."

"Alright, get outta there," Chip said to him.

"Sir, Agent Farmer here. Tracking hostiles near your location. Two of them are en route to the server room."

Spike took the hard drives and stashed them into his satchel. He closed it and prepared to make his getaway, before he thought he heard explosions out in the distance. The people that came to the building have arrived in force, probably to either take whatever evidence they had stored inside the server room or destroy it. Either way, they would have to get it from Spike first.

He pulled out a smoke grenade and took the safety pin off before he opened the door and threw it outside. Fumes filled the space in front of the server room, masking his presence from the enemy. The SEAL knew they were close. As the cloud billowed forth, he advanced cautiously to make sure he wasn't seen.

"What the hell?" said one of the cyborg mercs, adjusting his monocular goggles to night vision to search for the server room before he noticed black smoke coming from ahead. He stepped into the space to see if the hard drive was still inside. The LI soldier checked the server racks and founded the device that belonged to the company under 3R was not there. He cursed under his breath and called back to his leader.

"Unit One, this is Unit Four. I conducted a check of the server room, no sign of hostile. He vanished."

"Unit Four, Unit One, is the hard drive missing?"

"Affirmative."

"Spread out and find him!" Vernes barked through the net. "Whoever stole it still has to be around somewhere!"

A masked man with tri-focal goggles crept from behind and held him at gunpoint. The soldier sensed this and took the first move by knocking the pistol out of the man's hand, while following up with a takedown to kill his assailant. Instead, the mercenary himself was overwhelmed by the mysterious individual's fighting skill. Each attack that the cyborg sent in his opponent's direction was parried or blocked, with the enemy becoming fierce in his offensive. As the soldier threw a left hook, he founded himself with one of his arms behind his back and his head caught in a choke hold.  
_ _ _

"Looking for me?" Spike whispered menacingly.

"What th--" the merc gagged, trying to break free of the lieutenant commander's headlock.

"I'd be careful if I were you. How many are with you?"

"I'm not going to tell you a goddamned thing!"

"Oh, really?" the SEAL scoffed, knocking his enemy with a hit from his fist. He picked up his Five-Seven and cocked it. Soon after, he took aim at the merc's leg and shot him. The hybrid soldier writhed at the pain and noticed the wound gushing through his left thigh. It surprised Spike somewhat that despite the toughness of the LI soldiers that they could still feel pain.

"How many?" the liaison repeated.

"AGH, GOD!!" the mercenary cried out in a muffled voice, tending to his leg. Spike knelt down and pressed the pistol's suppressor against the man's temple, tempted to pull the trigger. It would be a quick death, unless the man spilled his guts.

"If you don't tell me, so help me God..."

"Five others. One's with me, four others are fighting off the police."

"What's the objective?" Spike pressed, placing his boot on the man's wound to pressure him to talk.

"Urgh! W -- we're here to retrieve some kind of electronic device. A hard drive or somethin'..."

Intrigued, Spike fished out the hard drive labeled 3R. He held the device in his hand, examining it before he said his next word. He holstered his pistol and leaned slightly forward, showing the hardware in front of the mercenary soldier so he could get a good look at it.

"So you've been looking for this, huh? Too bad you're not gonna get what you want," the SEAL taunted. He finished afterwards with a very hard right hook, knocking the man unconscious.

"Whirl, Farmer, this is Spike. I need an extract out of here," Spike whispered through his earpiece.

"On our way, hang tight," Farmer said.

Spike kept his ears open on the enemy's radio chatter. The mercs that were sent to retrieve the hard drive were on the lookout for him. He took the MP5 that was on the ground and fished two extra magazines from the man's body before he advanced onward. He founded an elevator door, and tried get one to come up onto the third floor.

_Not good, they cut power to the elevators_. _Looks like I got to get up the old fashioned way_.

Spike searched for the doors to the stairway, making best speed as he could without being sighted. He stopped short when he sighted another cyborg hybrid just thirty yards away. The mercenary spotted the naval commando before he could take a shot and fired first. Spike crouched down to avoid what was coming at him. The SEAL soon knelt back up and he leveled his weapon, firing in controlled bursts towards the general direction where he last made contact.

"Unit One, this is Unit Two! Unit Four is currently down, with one hostile present in the area. Request backup immediately!"

"Damn it!" Spike cursed to himself quietly, as he took notice of the mercenary's warning to his compatriots. He switched to infrared on his goggles and searched for the hostile nearby, spoting a red outline of the man that took cover behind the desks. Before he could dive behind another desk, the enemy took aim and struck the SEAL right in the shoulder. Spike felt the bullet pierce through his upper torso and crashed onto the ground. Using his arms to support his body, he fished out a flashbang and threw it at the mercenary's location, trying to force him out in the open.

The liaison's tactic worked in his favor, the man standing up while he was blinded from as he latched the MP5 he stole earlier around his opponent's neck, dragged it towards himself and twisted the man's head. He heard a crunch of snapping vertebrae before the mercenary slumped lifelessly onto the floor. Spike clutched to his wound as tight as he could, where blood seeped in droplets while he made his way towards an exit door that led up to the top of the building.

"There he is, get him!" called an authoritative voice, which Spike assumed is the leader of the small group sent to retrieve what he stole. Shouldering the SMG, he exerted all his energies into running, and ascended the stairs all the way to the roof. Midway through his trip, he heard loud footsteps echo through the stairway. He fished out a flashbang and dumped it behind him, knowing that it'll slow his pursuers momentarily and give him some leeway in which to get ahead of them. He reached the door and groaned at the sight of it locked from the inside. He took out his SMG and fired several rounds into the lock panel, and kicked at the mechanism that held the door in place.

Spike raised his goggles and ran further out, jumping over pipes while searching for cover. Bullets whizzed by his head and body, one of them hitting him behind his back. He forced his body to move faster before he founded a suitable location in which he could defend himself. The liaison dove behind a fan box and blind fired with his SMG at the incoming troopers. They intensified their assault by throwing frag grenades near him, forcing him to a spot where they could kill him and retrieved their highly sought prize contained within his satchel.

"Farmer, where the hell are you?!" Spike yelled through his earpiece, not wanting to wait another second only to be wasted by mercenaries.

"Thirty seconds away from you, sir. Take cover!" the NSA agent warned.

The SEAL covered his eyes as Whirl flew near the roof, flashing a light in the general direction of him and his pursuers. Inside his chassis Farmer broke out a .50 caliber machine gun from the Wrecker commando's storage bay and fire a barrage of bullets in the direction of the LI team, fteam to take cover. They in turn fired a barrage at the orbiting Autobot flyer, with the NSA personnel providing defensive fire while he threw a ladder down.

"Climb on! Hurry!"

Spike ran towards the ladder and jumped onto it as the team made their getaway. The four mercenaries that remained out of the six that broke into the building attempted to take him down within the range of their SMGs. Two of the bullets grazed Spike's forearm, almost making the SEAL lose his grip before Farmer and another agent held onto the lieutenant commander's wrist. They used their combined strength to pull the liaison on board Whirl and lean him against the hull so they could take a look at him. Once they were beyond 400 meters beyond City Hall they knew they were safe.

"You alright, Commander?" Farmer asked, noticing the blood trickling from Spike's back and shoulder.

"It was a close call," the lieutenant commander grunted.

"Sit tight, sir," the NSA agent said, fishing out the first aid kit so that he could tend to the liaison's wounds. Spike fished out the hard drive that he stole and glanced at it in the palm of his hand.

"I'm gonna find out who you really are, kid."

Spike wasn't sure what to do with the information. Whatever follow-up action he intended to take would have to wait once the data stored on the hard drive pertaining to the teenage boy was decoded. If Lelouch really was a member of the Black Knights, he was going to go after him, and find out whatever secrets the young man had. It would also serve as a chance to find out where Arkeville hid and ultimately bring him to justice as Spike intended.  
_ _ _

**Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

C.C. swayed her hair to the side, fluttering her legs against Lelouch's bed, acting as the annoyance that she always is. She munched down on her slice of pizza without a care in the world. Lelouch hated her freeloading off his credit cards. Ultimately, he was in a bad mood. He was conflicted in his feelings for Shirley, guilt still panging inside of his conscious after almost being killed on site at the Yokosuka dockyards. And the entity known as Megatron irked him most of all, crushing a segment of his forces.

But worst of all: Cornelia escaped his grasp once again. Partly due to the interference of the white Knightmare, but mainly due to the arrival of not one but two groups of unknowns. The Black Knights didn't field enough personnel and equipment to handle the type of forces that the new factions wielded at their disposal. He then decided to check his schedule and plan for the possibility of heading overseas in order to bring others into the fold and crush all who stand in his way.

Lelouch pulled up news reports of the aftermath at dockyards on his laptop. The government tried to cover up the battle like it was some terrorist attack. At the scale of which the skirmish was fought, the Britannians. He knew that Cornelia had issues trying to shield the problem from the population. It wouldn't be long before the colonists discovered the truth.

"I'm getting really tired of your games, C.C."

"Struck a nerve, have I?"

The ex-prince kept silent at her snide remark. She continued munching on her pizza and held onto her Cheese-kun doll while propelling herself off the bed. As she finished her slice she gingerly took her steps and stood right next to him, glancing at the monitor screen. Lelouch tried ignoring her to no avail, but kept his eyes peeled on the computer.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Getting a little touchy, aren't we?" the immortal teased. "Are you still thinking about the girl? Do you harbor feelings for her?"

He felt defeated inside, after nearly being killed in battle by Megatron and his forces. And Shirley almost died with him. Regardless of what could've happened, the ex-prince was far from giving up his crusade. He had to push his campaign forward, no matter the cost.

"Shut up!" Lelouch snapped, leaping out of his chair and holding the witch by her wrists against the wall. Their faces were close enough to touch each other, but the ex-prince was not in a mindset to entertain thoughts of deviancy. Instead, they stared at each other down through a contest of wills.

"If you wish to defeat Britannia and the other factions, you must put aside your feelings and focus on the task at hand," C.C. advised.

"I will do whatever it is _I_ deem necessary to defeat my enemies, not you."

"Hmph, your arrogance will dig you an even deeper grave once this 'Megatron' defeats you. From what I hear, he is cold, ruthless, and calculating. Qualities which you have but are severely lacking."

"I will _not_ be defeated. Not even by him," Lelouch promised, his eyes locking fiercely with hers. Deep down he knew she was right. But was he willing to throw away his humanity in order to wipe out those that wronged him and create the world which he has so desired for his younger sister?

While the moment remained tense between the two accomplices, their conversation was cut short by the ringing of his cell. At first he opted not to pick it up, and then it went silent afterwards. The second time around, the ex-prince picked up the phone and attached the scrambler so that his calls couldn't be traced. In the era of high technology and surveillance, one couldn't afford to be too careful when trying to cover his tracks from the authorities.

"Hello?" Lelouch said.

"Is this Zero?" called a middle-aged man.

"Yes, what is it?" the ex-prince asked tersely.

"This is Mr. Keferling. The person you contacted keeping track of your intel material?"

"What about it?" Lelouch inquired further. He recalled hiring Mr. Kefering weeks ago after his rescue of Suzaku before his scheduled execution. The ex-prince figured he had all his bases covered since his records were sealed within the Britannian Citizens Archive back at the homeland. After his exile, he managed to hack into the data and steal the file that pertained to him and his sister, creating alterations to their original files. The newly 'revised' data gave the impression to everyone back at the homeland that the vi Britannia siblings were by all means dead, and their new identities as the Lamperouges made him and Nunnally just another ordinary family on the side.

"It concerns file #31579 under 7E/25D. Are you familiar with that item, sir?"

Lelouch eyes widened in alarm. _Oh no, someone's been tampering with my data at City Hall!_

"Sir, are you there?"

"Yes, I am. I'm familiar with it. What happened?"

"Apparently there's been a theft at city hall containing data in reference to whatever you had stored on it."

The ex-prince gripped his cell phone in a fit of rage. "Obviously! How in blazes did they manage to get it in the first place?!"

"One of the witnesses reported an intruder breaking inside and stealing one of the hard drives that housed the information in the server room."

"Is the emergency tracer active?"

"Yes."

"Forward the data to my laptop. I'll take it from here," Lelouch instructed.

"Of course, sir."

Lelouch made sure that he had a backup copy of his birth certificates and emergency bank accounts in order. The person who stole the information must've known where to look. As he checked the map displayed on the monitor, he noticed the a red cross indicating a location of interest. That spot indicated the building where the corporation known as Harker/Ferguson was located.

"Something wrong?" C.C. asked.

"It would appear someone's been looking for some information about me."

"You think someone might've talked?"

"Possibly. But my more immediate concern is to find out where the data is located and destroy it to prevent whoever has it from discovering my identity. Thankfully the emergency tracer is encased in the hard drive itself. So, whoever stole it will lead us right back to where they live."

Lelouch went to the briefcase hidden in his closet where his duffel bag was stored. He withdrew the luggage and opened it, holding the iconic helmet within his hand. The black-haired teenager smiled evilly as the opportunity to discover the truth behind the corporation close to the Omotesando area presented itself. He dialed another number onto his cell, calling up members of his team in preparation for a covert sortie.  
_ _ _

**Female Bathhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Milly and Kallen basked themselves in the waters of the bathhouse near the female dorms. It felt nice for them to relax and unwind after the past few days, which consisted of exams in the sciences and history. And, despite Lelouch's lackluster nature, his assistance in the memorization of facts and other important items helped them pass their tests with relative ease. Kallen never thought of him to be reliable as such, until she was proven wrong when he explained how much he knew. She wondered what other secrets the boy harbored, but instead decided to dwell on the present moment inside the main area where the water fountains (in the form of statues) were situated.

Instead, what was supposed to be a relaxing night instead became a night of tension. Even after the battle in Yokosuka, Kallen felt worried at what happened back at the dockyards. The ease in which the imperial troops were slaughtered like farm cattle chilled her body to the core. While Milly lathered herself in soap, she took notice of the redhead's distracted state and asked her 'frail' friend what was bothering her.

"Enjoying your bath? You seem preoccupied."

"No, I like this. It's relaxing, especially after what we just went through," Kallen lied cooly.

"There's something else. Come on, you can tell me," the blonde gleamed at her. The pilot of the Guren knew better than to take the word of the flirtatious president, who would make gossip whenever she had the chance, and whenever it suited her convenience. The heir of the Stadtfeld family knew better than to fall prey to Ashford's game.

Kallen remained firm not to tell her classmate anything. "I'd rather not."

Feeling devious, Milly advanced, the waters of the bathhouse splashing as they ran around. Kallen ran around, trying to avoid the waves that surged in her direction. She shielded herself with her arms, trying to evade whatever flew in her direction.

"Gah!"

"Come on, don't be a spoilsport. It's only a light splash," Milly teased again, sticking her tongue out in an un-ladylike manner.

"Quit it!"

"Okay, I'll stop," Milly said, raising her arms as a signal of ceasing her act. She lingered back into the comforting waters and settled back down into her bath.

"How is Shirley holding up?" Kallen asked, concerned about her friend, whom she nearly killed at one time for thinking she might've found out who Kallen really was.

"She's fine. Jerome took her back home just after the incident back downtown. She wouldn't even tell me what happened back there," Milly answered, taking note of her discussion with the orange-haired schoolgirl. She recalled that after her return, she was unusually quiet. Rumors began to circulate that she hasn't been attending her swimming practices, which meant that whatever she encountered earlier during the week really had her spooked.

"At least she's okay," Kallen said. The redhead recalled during an after action brief that Zero sighted an orange-haired girl in an Ashford Academy uniform almost killed by one of the insectoids that infested the dockyards that night. She also remembered one of the surviving Black Knight pilots mentioning that the same person was rescued by a red Knightmare sporting a red facial insignia on its chest plate. Who the rescuer may be remained an unanswered mystery. "Though I'm curious as to what got her spooked."

"All we can do is give her time," Milly exhaled, enjoying the warmth of the steam inside the bathhouse. "How are things going between you and Lelouch?"

"Aside from the occasional chatter, nothing much."

"As I said earlier, there's something else. You're intrigued by him."

Kallen's face turned bright red at her friend's claim. "I am not!"

"Oh come now, Kallen. Do you really expected me to believe that?" the blonde chuckled.

While the two friends continued to converse, Kallen heard her cellular ring out in the distance. Intrigued, she walked back to where her phone was kept and fished it out. It didn't show any ID on who was calling. Tempted to leave it alone and enjoy her bath, she answered it against her better judgment, just to find out who would call her and disturb her rightfully-earned evening of peace and quiet.

"Hello?"

"Q-1, it's Zero. There's a job I need you to do for me."

"Hang on one moment," the Guren operator said as she turned to Milly: "Hey, I gotta take this call. It's my father."

"Okay..." Milly said, leaning against a pillar with a smile on her face as steam billowed through the bathhouse.

"Am I interrupting something?" Zero asked.

"I was in the middle of a bath, actually," she answered flatly.

"My apologies. I'll get straight to the point: we're going to be looking into Harker/Ferguson. I think it's time we paid them a little visit."

The name struck a chord in her. She was familiar with the name and the Black Knights only had little data on the company, mostly intel in what its stock holdings were in the realm of technology. She got her game face on, putting on a tank top as she continued her conversation with Zero. "How soon do you want me to prepare?"

"Within the next hour. I'm having Ohgi pull schematics of the structure where the company is headquartered as we speak."

"Alright, I'll be ready by then," Kallen said. This was the first real action taken against the shadow corporation. Though she wondered just what kind of personnel worked over at the building where the supposed target area resided in, she would have to wait until the rest of her cohorts arrived.  
_ _ _

**Shuttle 43  
En route from Iridon III**

An Autobot spacecraft ferrying supplies from the main orbital HQ of the Autobot expeditionary forces, carrying several vital pieces of equipment and resources for the fleet that was stationed in the alternate Sol System, commanded by Optimus Prime. It was one of several that were scheduled to arrive in Area 11 where the Autobots and their allies ran their covert operations. Little did they realize that the shuttle itself was piloted by a double agent.

Dealer was a specialist in bringing many goods. What most don't realize is that he is a Decepticon by affiliation. He had been a regular giver of intelligence on troop and starship movements throughout the galaxy.

Megatron's plan in smuggling his component via transport worked in the warlord's favor. All that remained was sneaking past with the cargo undetected and deliver the shipment to the Decepticon forces to the designated rendezvous point as instructed. The amount of Solarion credits that Dealer was given would make sure of it.

In the back of the were several armed mercenaries, two of them were the Battlechargers Runamuck and Runabout, a contingent of land-based rapid response assault troops that specialized in seizing territory within a short span of time.

"Why did he have to tag along?" Runamuck grunted.

"Megatron has his reasons," Runabout explained to his comrade, trying to prevent an incident en route. "Reasons that we don't need to know, aside from the fact that we're being paid for this gig."

"He got paid more for this job than we did," the white Battlecharger complained. "That just doesn't cut it for me."

"I would stop talking if I were you," Runabout warned.

"Why? He's just scrapheap!"

A quick jerk threw Runamuck off balance, as he felt his body lifted and slammed in one swift motion. Seconds afterwards Banzai-Tron stood high, with his blade drawn at the Battlecharger's spark core. The downed mercenary widened his visor in shock, finding the attack sudden. The cyber-ninja had Runamuck at his mercy, ready to terminate him at a moment's notice. The white-clad Decepticon had his back on the deck while Banzai-Tron stared down upon him, his optics glowed an eerie yellow.

"You were saying something earlier?"

"...Hey, whatever I said I didn't mean it!" Runamuck uttered nervously, hoping that his life would be spared as he held his hands up in surrender.

"Do not test my patience," Banzai-Tron chided.

"If you scrapheaps are done fighting with your associate, I need to speak to him."

Banzai-Tron returned his blade to his scabbard and walked alongside Dealer to the confines within the shuttle where they wouldn't be disturbed. Though he trusted the Crystolocution expert not to turn him into slag, the double agent wasn't taking any chances. He made things clear from the beginning after picking up his passengers not to fight in the cargo hold. Dealer spoke to his guest upfront to re-establish the 'house rules'.

"Are you insane?! You almost damaged the component, and Megatron would have my head if there's even one scratch on it!"

"My apologies. But it would be best if those idiotic mercenaries knew some manners and watch whose stabilizers they dare to tread upon."

"I've been instructed to transport you and the others to a designated location. Unfortunately I don't know any more of the details."

"I trust you're satisfied with the arrangements?"

The cyber-ninja raised a servo and answered: "Like you, I've been paid more than amply, I can assure you that Megatron will get his shipment as planned."

"Interestingly, I don't get paid enough to ask the questions. All I can do is get the cargo, including yourself, to the coordinates safely."

Nodding, Banzai-Tron walked to another space where he could meditate privately. Dark energies manifested within the spark housed inside his chest cavity. He did not fear Megatron, and was one of the few freelance Cybertronians that could afford not to be afraid of the former gladiator. The cyber-ninja was his own league of evil, though he wondered why the warlord even bothered to summon him at great expense. The ex-Decepticon blademaster had no other option but to wait until he met Megatron face-to-face.

**End of Chapter 23**

* * *

Author's Notes:

I was recently inspired by trailers from the recently released stealth action game, Splinter Cell: Conviction. Part of Spike's character is based off of Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell series. While they have a similar mentality in how they handle business, with all their unorthodox methods and deadly skills, I emphasize that they are two completely different men.

.com/watch?v=ewF0_nDIrCc


	29. Interlude: Cornelia

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**An except from Cornelia's personal entries on the current situation in with the Decepticon infiltration and the Autobot expeditionary force.**

* * *

****

Interlude

It has been several days since we last made contact with unidentified forces here in Area 11. Darlton, Guilford, and the ASEEC have sifted through the wreckage that showed the symbols of the two factions operating within the colony, one bearing the red facial decal from the skirmish in Shinjuku, another bearing the purple facial insignia from the fight in the Yokosuka dockyards. The density and concentration of these groups have grown steadily over the past month, making me wonder how they managed to stay under the radar yet increase their military strength at the same time. I could very well have a war on my own doorstep.

From what I could see, patterns seem to emerge in which this unknown enemy is using our own ranks against us, the first was in the Narita operation where I commanded our forces to crush the JLF, only to find the tables turned after Zero's ambush against us. Reports of moles within the armies of our rivals have circulated throughout the empire, though they themselves never confirmed whether they encountered the same phenomena that we fought during the Narita and Yokosuka campaigns. I suspect there were others involved, though no evidence has been found as of yet.

What irks me is that even my closest advisers have looked into the issue, and they have founded no records within the archives of the supposed 'spies' that would indicate a secondary affiliation. To make things worse, not even a single scrap of information exists on these newcomers that kept popping up, making me wonder if one of these groups is behind the infiltration.

Due to the nature of the increasing threat of these groups, I have recently contacted Schneizel, and he has agreed to commit several of his contingents to aid us in maintaining order. The fight against the terrorist factions and private corporations would've never required the extra amount of troops to come over and bolster our military strength if it weren't for these interlopers. However, with the presence of the two unknown forces operating ever closely within our borders, I found it necessary to get as many troops as we can muster to combat these threats.

Our situation begs the question: why are they here? What stakes do they have over the control of Area 11?

Whether we stand a chance against them, even I do not know for certain. But, regardless of the consequences, we must prevail. The future of our people depends on it, especially to keep Euphie safe from harm.

- Cornelia, Second Princess of the Holy Empire of Britannia **  
**


	30. Chapter 24 Spy Games, Part 1: The Raid

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**While the NSA personnel decrypt the file containing classified information on Lelouch Lamperouge, Cornelia requests for reinforcements from the homeland.**

* * *

****

Chapter 24 – Spy Games, Part 1: The Raid

**Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannian Mainland**

Prince Schneizel el Britannia occupied himselfin plotting the campaign to crush the threat that the EU posed against the empire in the Atlantic. He pored over maps of different sections of water that stretched hundreds of miles between the Americas and the European continent. Pins marked locations of strategic interest that he would go over and review before putting his plans in motion. He enjoyed the prospect of engaging himself in military matters, since it gave him ample opportunity to test his wits against the best that the Europeans had to offer.

Statesmen, thinker, strategist; he encompassed all of these traits that made him more than a suitable candidate as successor to the throne. Outwardly many would conceive him as a man of great confidence. Women adored him whenever he showed his face in public. Men respected his charisma and leadership. What they never know, save for a select few, is that he is utterly ruthless by nature, and that people are nothing more but pawns in his desire to succeed the emperor as ruler of the empire.

He stopped himself momentarily and sat behind his desk to look over personnel files placed in front of his computer screen, which was clipped inside a manila folder. As he seated himself, he opened the dossier containing profiles of two members of the Knights of the Round that will be coming with the reinforcements he intends to send over to Area 11. He suggested to the emperor that he send a few of them over due to the nature of the threat that the imperium's new enemies poised to their rightful sovereignty of the colony. During their last communique, Charles flatly refused to send his most highly prized warriors on a measly errand.

It took a while before Schneizel convinced his father to send at least two of his elite cadre to assist Cornelia, since tensions in and out of the colony began to escalate, and the facts of the situation slowly trickled throughout the imperium. Afterwards, the emperor acquiesced to his son's reasoning that the forces already stationed in Area 11 needed all the help they can get. Among the pair was Gino Weinberg, an eccentric but capable young pilot, and his associate Anya Alstreim, an introverted but also adept Knightmare operator with a mysterious past. From what their records showed, they were exceptional pilots that were more than capable of leading the troops that would be coming to assist Cornelia. It was a risk that the second prince was willing to take in order to carry favor with the emperor. His review of the dossier was interrupted by the deep voice of one of his adjutants, Colonel Hastings.

"Prince Schneizel, General Fughes requests your presence in the war room."

"Just give me a moment and I'll be there shortly," Schneizel said. Before he made his exit, he went back to glance back at the chessboard that he had situated just a few feet away from his desk. The board and its contents was a gift from Cornelia many years ago, one that he had grown to appreciate over the years. All of the pieces were placed within their respective positions, each hand-crafted and made out of oak wood. The finely cut edges that defined their shapes made them something to be admired. He picked up the white king and smiled as he made his journey to meet with his military advisors.  
_ _ _

Inside the war room were a group of Britannian officers consisting of generals and their chiefs of staff, poring over every detail of strange occurrences and signs of military or terrorist action within the past 48 hours. Most of them were mainly focused on the Black Knights and other Japanese terrorist cells that were still active, chiefly the remnants of the JLF. All of the officers stood at attention upon Schneizel's arrival, who prompted them to be at ease since they had military affairs to discuss. Among the congregation of dedicated officers were Colonels Jasan Valgar and Geoffrey Hastings, with General Aleksander Fughes standing in front of the map display; all three men were veterans of the forces that defeated the Japanese SDF back in 2010 before it was re-named Area 11. Each were chosen by the second prince himself to act as his military advisors.

"Alright, gentlemen. What do you have for me?" Schneizel began.

"We've received reports of several incursions throughout the outer rim of the Pacific by the Chinese Federation, Your Highness," Valgar explained. "Strangely enough, the Black Knights have been trying to take advantage of these distractions any way they could. Supplies have been taken from several storehouses. No matter how well-guarded they are, they have always managed to overpower the defenders, despite the fact that our soldiers are highly trained."

"First they raid the storehouses and factories, and then disappear like ghosts," Colonel Valgar noted. We can defeat them through direct confrontation but not through asymmetric combat. Despite the lack of formal training, their experience in guerrilla tactics makes them something not to be taken lightly."

"Agreed," the second prince said before pointing to several locations marked with orange circles, which he recognized as storehouses for Knightmare parts inside the colony. "from what I can see they're replacement parts for the Sutherlands."

"They are, sir. The Black Knights are like vultures: they scavenge for parts whenever they can, except with Zero leading them they're a little bolder in their acts. More so than the JLF."

"Which suggests that Zero is a tactically adept opponent. It would be wise not to underestimate him," Schneizel said coolly.

"Zero is a miscreant and a danger to the people. Gottwald should've killed him on the spot when he first appeared!" one of the generals declared.

"While I do agree on your assessment that he is a dangerous man, General --" Scheizel began. "-- he is not as much a danger as these new threats that my half-sister has told us about. We will need to commit more of our resources to deal with them as appropriate. How many of the battalions have been deployed?"

"Six as of now, Your Highness," Fughes said. "We have four others on standby at Regis Base."

"Send the other four. It should be sufficient enough to reinforce our troops already stationed in the colony. I will be conferring with her shortly after the brief. Now, what of the Africa campaign?" the second prince asked.

"We have five armored divisions stationed in the base in Morocco," Valgar said. "The 6th air cavalry unit should be arriving at Stratus Airfield within the next 48 hours. Though there is something else that I need to report to you."

Schneizel maintained a calm posture. "Oh?"

"As of two hours ago one of our outposts detected movement near the cities along the Nile River. Satellite imagery confirms that a convoy was spotted in Egypt ferrying supplies to one of the EU bases. Each truck had markings that identified them with the initials 'LI'. We're currently looking through the intelligence databases to find out which group those letters are associated with," the colonel explained.

Although he never mentioned it, Schneizel recognized the vehicles in the photographs belonging to Lukas International, who had dealings with each of the world powers in its pursuit for profit. It was also one of the same companies that funded Project R under his deceased half-brother Clovis.

"And also, about sixty miles away there was a small swarm of insectoids advancing on one of our bases in Northern Egypt. Whether this convoy is tied to their presence in stood out as the unknown factor that would have to be investigated.

"So, this further establishes that Cornelia's reports are true."

"Yes, sir," Colonel Hastings said.

"If that's the case, then these creatures are just as much an enemy to him as they are to us," the second prince said. "Forward all the data that we know so far on any similar hostile contacts encountered over the past several days to my terminal. I will be reviewing it in length before we move on a course of action. Good work, gentlemen."

As he left the war room, his mind pondered questions to ask of his contact inside the company: Thomas Arkeville. He would have to make a phone call to him to find out what his employers were up to. Whether he would find it necessary to 'deal' with him as appropriate depended on whatever answers he would be given.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Inside the facility's medical room, Spike leaned against a hard mattress that felt slightly uncomfortable. He felt his back stiffen a little, trying to recover from the wounds he sustained back at City Hall. With a PDA in hand, he caught up on the reports of Nightbeat's team making contact with an arms dealer over in Hong Kong. The SEAL prayed that they would be able to procure the location of the rods that the Black Knights had in their possession so the NSA personnel could neutralize them. He stroked his wound gently, admiring the work that the one of the agents did, who was a field medic with the Marines before working with Third Echelon. Spike sensed Ironhide walking nearby and gave a somewhat lazy wave at the Autobot security officer.

"How are you feeling?" Ironhide asked his human friend.

"Better. How's the decryption work coming along?" Spike inquired as he pored over the papers. He had almost forgotted that Ironhide was amongst four other Autobots that remained inside the building, since Jazz and the twins were out on patrol in the streets. The three others that were inside of the premises of the firm consisted of Brawn, Windcharger and Warpath, all veterans of the Autobot-Decepticon war back in the United States and the Cybertronian civil war long before that. Having at least one familiar face retained in the group kept Spike at ease as the Cybertronian security officer updated him on current events.

"Your boy Delacruz's already got Chip working on decoding the hard drive, even though he's on the distant end. It's going to take about an hour or two for the setup to complete."

"Can't wait to see what we've got."

"The Black Knights are an obstacle. You know that just as well as I do. If we take them outta play, we'll have no problems taking on whatever the 'Cons want to throw at us."

Spike ears perked up when he heard the sound of screeching tires from the garage downstairs. He instinctively grabbed his firearm and loaded a magazine into the magazine well, His jaw locked and his eyebrows furrowed at what he presumed to be a threat inside the premises.

"Ironhide, did you hear that?"

"Yeah. That's the second team that Optimus requested from your government."

Spike glanced at his digital watch on his wrist. "Ah. Well, good to know they're on schedule."  
_ _ _

In the main garage, the second team of Third Echelon agents arrived, numbering up to two dozen personnel. Some of them were regular field agents, carrying kevlar vests and armor plates. Out of the twenty plus men and women that arrived, eight of them were trained as Splinter Cells: operatives that specialized in retrieving information through 'classical' methods of espionage. Standard operating procedure dictated that they worked alone or in pairs. Due to the scope and complexity of the situation in Area 11 and other regions around the world, the agency would extend its reach towards other parts of the world while maintaining its operational deniability.

As the new teams disembarked from their vehicles, two operatives stepped away from the mass of agents that were setting up shop within the building towards Spike. The lieutenant commander stood at ease and offered a hand to the duo with a sturdy demeanor. Both of the special agents positioned themselves facing the man as they greeted each other.

"Welcome to Harker/Ferguson, gentlemen. I assume you know who I am?"

The taller man of the two shook Spike's hand in earnest, his grip firm and his poise stoic. "As a matter of fact we do, sir. I'm Agent Kevin Faulkner and this is my associate, Agent Lawrence Gillspie. It's an honor to meet you in person."

Spike took notice of Faulkner's thick southern accent. He guessed that the man came from Tennessee. Gillspies remained silent, though the lieutenant commander guessed that the other SAIC came from somewhere along the West Coast. His shaggy hairstyle made him look oddly Californian.

"The feeling's mutual, but I'm afraid I have to cut the formalities and get to the point: we're conducting operations in Area 11 to neutralize American terrorists that have taken residence within the region. Have you caught up on the details?" the SEAL asked the new arrivals.

"We've been briefed by Director Powell himself." Faulkner explained. "I've also been checking on the profiles of the mercs under his command that have joined his group prior to their departure stateside, long before this whole mess started. Arkeville's got some pretty bad folks working for him."

Due to Spike's status as a liaison for the NSA, his immediate superior was Porter C. Powell, overall director of Third Echelon. Aside from President Freeman and the Joint Chiefs, the lieutenant commander answered to the director and apprised him of the ongoing mission in the hunt for Arkeville, and was in turn responsible for anything that went wrong. Powell was one of the bureaucratic types that Spike never gets along with, due to his tendency to involve himself in the oversight of Spike's operations and cite regulation when he himself never went out in the field.

"Given the circumstances, our responsibility has expanded to the Mediterranean and North Africa. Meaning one of the teams will be assigned to assist the Autobot Deputy Commander Prowl."

"Have they mentioned what we'll be doing in the area, sir?" Gillspie asked.

"The details are still being worked on. One of the teams will have to go with the Autobot forces that are deploying to Africa to masquerade as a European military unit."

"We're pretending to be Europeans?" Faulker inquired, his expression one of slight disbelief.

"Yeah. This is a temporary job, and we're going to leave this planet once their overall mission's complete."

"Hmm, lucky for us we brought some gear that'll level the playing field," Gillspie commented.

"Good to know. How much hardware you carrying?" Spike asked, noticing the crates that the arriving American personnel unpacked. Each were marked with the NSA branch's iconic seal, a four-clawed talons in a circular enclosure swooping downward. 'Third Echelon' was labeled on the upper portion of the icon, with five stars marking the bottom portion. It was a symbol that Spike respected over time.

"Enough to fight a small war, sir," Faulkner smiled.

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Gillspie laughed contentedly. "Here we got is the whole nine yards. Flashbangs, frags, smokes, EMPs, sticky cams, sticky shockers, you name it."

Spike looked at the various pieces of hardware and took notice of a 50. cal sniper rifle. In the right hands, these weapons were more than enough to carve holes in armored units and turn the heads of ordinary men into bloody paste. He knew they would come in handy if the agents went toe-to-toe with Knightmare Frames, whose size allowed them to take on tank divisions at a time. The added firepower proved to be a dire necessity in an increasingly tense and hostile environment.

"I see you brought along sniper rifles as well," the SEAL observed.

"We also got 20mm armor-piercing rounds. If we aim 'em at the joints, it'll take care some of the Knightmare problem, provided that the divisions that we deal with are within reason," Faulkner said before pointing to a strange-looking assault rifle, the stock integrated with the firing grip and the sight consisting of a rail. "This here is the SC3000. It's got a built-in suppressor with a modified buttstock that gives minimal recoil and a more stable means of firing. It's ambidextrous for people who are either right or left-handed. Good for firefights if things get ugly."

"Mind if I take a look?" Spike asked with a grin, feeling like a spoiled kid on Christmas.

"Sure," Faulkner said.

Intrigued, the lieutenant commander inspected the weapon and sighted it downward. "How many rounds can thing hold?"

"Thirty, same as the M-16 and M4," Gillspie explained.

"NATO ammunition?" the liaison asked.

"You betcha," Faulkner said.

"I like it," Spike grinned.

"Figured you would, sir." Gillspie smiled.

"As much as I'm tempted to play with the gear a little bit, I gotta go over details over team assignments. There's also a prisoner I need to check up on."

"A prisoner?" Faulkner asked.

"Yeah, somebody we took in after the battle at Narita. He's a lead researcher on a project that Arkeville funded. He gave some information that was credible regarding Decepticon activity in Japan and Lukas International's involvement in the whole affair, though I have a feeling that he's still holding back on the man's location," Spike mentioned. "After I brief you on your assignments, have your vehicles parked in the back with the gear stowed in preparation for departure. We're going to be setting up a secondary outpost soon."

"We can do it right now, since the gear's still in the crates," Gillspie suggested.

"Fair enough. Also: I brought two hard drives that needs some decryption work done pertaining to a couple of potential leads. My main analyst is over in China right now and he's working on what we have but he'll need some help. Who are your best analysts?"

"Agents Paul Kim and Valerie Calder," Faulkner answered immediately.

"We'll get right 'em on it sir," Gillspie said as he searched for the analysts to handle the assigned tasking.

_So far so good, _Spike thought to himself. _Hopefully the rest of the day will go just as smoothly_.  
_ _ _

**Zone 53C  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Lelouch oversaw the operation from a Burai Kai requisitioned from the Kyoto House. He operated it via remote control about three hundred meters away, and kept watch on the occupants inside the building via the factsphere infrared mode. Inoue, Ohgi, and all others kept their eyes as Kallen's team moved about near the building. He was lucky he kept a tracer on the hard drive so that he could backtrack it to Harker/Ferguson.

He surmised that if they were working on behalf of the Britannian government they would've killed him on the spot. Since they haven't decoded the drive yet, it was enough time to strategize and land a decisive blow against a potential hindrance to his plans against the empire.

"Kallen, are you in position?"

"Me and my team are moving standing by right now."

"Inoue, what's the status of the bomb?"

"Shisuke's driving the van near the target location. Should be ready in the next five minutes."

"Understood. Ohgi, Kallen, once it goes off, get ready to send the first assault teams and capture the personnel that are inside the building. There's a few questions I want to ask them."

"Roger," both of the Knightmare leaders replied.

"Just exactly why are we here again?" Tamaki said, which gave Lelouch the impression that he thought the mission itself was a bad idea.

"We're here because the people inside that building possess vital intelligence on our activities that, if released, will cripple the resistance movement. Unless we act, the Black Knights will come to an end," Lelouch lied. He didn't want his team to know that he was trying to cover up whatever the people over at Harker/Ferguson wanted to find out. He also wanted to keep the truth away from Kallen.

_Everything's going according to plan, and so far they haven't detected us, yet_.

"Alright then, I'll go over the plan one last time. Once the algorithm attacks the building's network, the EMP will be detonated, affecting any electrical system within five city blocks. Once the bomb goes off, we will launch our forces and surround the structure. If any of the company's personnel resists, we will kill them. Our primary objective is to take whatever hard copies of intelligence that they may possess in regard to our activities."

The ex-prince switched his monitors to a display that mapped the local area. The vans that contained Kallen's Guren and the squads of Burais were situated far away from the blast radius were the EMP would be detonated. He reviewed the locations in which his forces were hidden, figuring that he did a good job in terms of positioning and maximum coverage of the target area. Once he activated his laptop, he climbed into the cockpit of his Knightmare and prepared for the fight to come.  
_ _ _

**Repair Bay  
Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement **

Suzaku sat inside the cockpit of the Lancelot, adjusting the controls after noticing a lag within the Knightmare's response to his commands. He tested the mech's movements by flexing its digits and extending its palm before placing it back to the machine's hip.

"How's it looking, Lloyd?"

"Hmm, looks like you're right about this one, chap."

"What is it?"

"It would appear one of the sub-circuit boards needs to be replaced," Lloyd observed, watching the Lancelot's functions on his various screens next to the platform in front of the Knightmare. Cables protruded from under the bay tiles to the frame's chassis, allowing the contractor to monitor the vital functions of the Knightmare in preparation for new software upgrades that have just recently arrived that would eventually allow the Lancelot to fly. While Suzaku and his two superiors worked on trying to solve their current problem, a man dressed in a brown uniform walked towards the standing mech and bellowed to the seated pilot.

"Warrant Officer, your presence is needed in the viceroy's office," called a lieutenant.

"I'll be there shortly," "I wonder what she wants to talk to me about?"

"Whatever it is, it must be important," Lloyd said as he adjusted his glasses.

"We can hold off the testing until after you finish your meeting," Cecile suggested.

"We still need to find out which sub-circuit boards needs to be replaced."

Cecile elbowed her superior hard in the midsection, leaving the contractor to clutch his midsection as he felt the jolt of pain. "Lloyd! He's been working for eight hours straight. Give him a little break."

"Don't worry, I don't intend to be long," Suzaku chuckled as he climbed his way out of the cockpit. He waved his colleagues while making a dash towards the locker room to get changed.  
_ _ _

Suzaku went to the locker and changed out of his flight suit to his warrant officer's uniform. En route to the viceroy's office, the young man spotted a familiar pink-haired woman walking through the hallway. She had a light violet dress that contrasted with her figure.

"Suzaku?"

"Your Highness, it's good to see you, again," Suzaku said. He glanced and noticed the soft look in her eyes.

"I... heard about the news of Yokosuka. It was a brave thing you did, saving my sister back there."

The warrant officer tried brushing off the princess' kindness. "It was nothing, ma'am. I was just doing my job."

Suzaku's gaze widened as Euphemia leaned in and kissed him by the lips. He lifted his hands and held onto her shoulders as they quietly embraced in their moment. Despite the urge to resist, he couldn't force himself to break away, and soon cupped her chin with his right hand. Her lips felt tender and gentle. Suzaku savored the softness a little longer before the two persons retracted themselves from one another.

"In that case, you did exceptionally well. Think of this as a sign of my thanks," Euphemia giggled.

"Of course, ma'am!" the Lancelot pilot exclaimed, his cheeks flushed in bright red. His eyes widened even more when he noticed a grim-looking General Darlton standing just a few feet away from the viceroy's office. He felt his heart race, knowing that Cornelia would've punished Suzaku for his indiscretion with her sister. Instead, the second princess' aide shook off the event as it was nothing, and instead stood right next to the entrance towards the viceroy's office.

"General, I didn't see you!" the Lancelot operator uttered in a fit of panic. Euphemia saw why Suzaku was afraid, and assured the general that she was alright. Despite her status, Cornelia's aides would still treat her as a child. It wasn't until she realized that Darlton kept his posture, and he simply said: "Warrant Officer Kururugi, the viceroy is ready to see you now."

Nodding, Suzaku moved on, wondering what the viceroy had in store for him. As he entered, Cornelia stood facing the window behind her desk with her hands clasped behind her back. She knew that the boy was a dedicated servant to the interests of the empire, and that he was a valuable asset not to be taken lightly.

"You wished to see me, Viceroy?"

"I did. Please, be seated," the second princess asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Suzaku said, sitting in the chair in front of Cornelia's desk. The skies outside of the bureau was clear, overlooking the settlement. His hands were clutched in tight fists, since he wasn't sure what the second princess wanted. Though he suspected that she might give him a bit of an ass chewing for the stunt he pulled in trying to rescue her. On the other hand, he regarded the possibility that she would praise him for his action.

"As you know, I have summoned you here for a private meeting. And I'm betting that you are curious as to why you are here."

Suzaku's green eyes studied the viceroy for a moment. He knew based on her history that she was distrustful of the Japanese people. He figured that his actions back at Narita and Yokosuka slowly began to open her eyes and softened her up a little bit on her stance to honorary Britannians in the imperial army.

"Seeing as how the ASEEC has never been solely recognized for its efforts in assisting my forces to maintain peace and order, I wanted to commend you for your bravery and dedication to the service," Cornelia explained.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"In addition, I will be hosting a private banquet in the main dining hall. Your crew's been invited and I would be honored if you join us."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Good. Be there at 1900 hours, and don't be late."

"Yes, ma'am," Suzaku said. He left the office with a bright smile on his face. As he took long strides back to the office, he thought to himself how well things were going in his life. And he thought that for the first time since his father died, there was hope for a bright future.  
_ _ _

**Zone 53C  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

"Alright, the bomb is set," Inoue radioed to the ex-prince.

"Good," Lelouch whispered to himself, his eyes in front of the monitor on his laptop. _In just one minute, the enemy's information will be eaten by a specially made virus, followed with an EMP strike. These people will never know what hit them. _

"Zero, this is Kallen, Assault Group One is in position."

"Ishida here, Assault Group Two ready to engage.

"Ohgi reporting, Assault Group Three is standing by.

"Good. All teams, stand by."

_Time to strike_.

Lelouch struck the 'Enter' key and the chaos began not too long after. A bar materialized on the top right of his screen, indicating the progress of the virus infecting the network inside the building. The attack against the opposition was well underway, and it wouldn't be long before he ended up as the victor.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Spike stood in front of Dr. Reinfield, who remained tied to a chair, bruises marking his cheekbones. The NSA agents kept him alive to squeeze whatever information they could out of him. Since the facsimile had no relatives nearby, they could not use family members as leverage to make him talk. The SEAL commander leaned his head close to the human clone's ear and said in a menacing whisper: "Wake up."

Reinfield soon regained conscious, and eyed the man in front of him. Spike gripped him by the hair, keeping the scientist's eyes leveled towards his. He wanted answers, and wasn't in a mood for waiting.

"I got a few questions I want to ask you."

"You're not getting anything out of me," the man spat out.

"Let me give you a reminder that you're in our custody, you son of a bitch," the SEAL snarled at the prisoner. "The only reason you're still alive is because you have intelligence that we could use to derail Arkeville and his company's operations in Area 11. You see, I have a gut feeling that you've been holding back."

"So, you think you --" Reinfield coughed. "-- can just... torture me for answers?"

"As a matter of fact I can, Doc. To be honest, I don't have a problem carving out your guts and let you bleed in agony for the things that you did to those children in your lab. Your cooperation _may_ ensure that you get outta this in one piece, depending on the information that you give. Otherwise..." Spike began before he pulled out his knife and poked it into the clone's abdomen. "You will be getting a real taste of the justice that I'll be handing over to you."

The interrogation was interrupted by the beeping in Spike's earpiece, prompting him to tap it. "Yeah?"

"Commander, we've got a problem," called a feminine voice, which the liaison figured belonged to one of the agents assisting in the decryption work.

"What's happening, Agent Calder?"

"Our data systems just got hit by an algorithm from an outside source. I can't backtrack the point of origin."

"How much of our data's being affected?"

"The files on Lelouch Lamperouge is wiped clean. I don't know if I can stop it from infecting the other partitions in the main server."

"Do whatever you can to slow it dow --" Spike said before he got cut off as he heard a large pop overhead. All of the lights blew up, with electricity arcing from active equipment that were situated inside the building. Harker/Ferguson went pitch black inside, and the building's emergency lights didn't turn on. Spike glanced up at the ceiling, noticing the darkness that slowly enveloped the spaces throughout the structure. He pulled out a tactical flashlight and tapped onto his earpiece, making his way towards the armory while donning a balaclava en route: "This is Commander Witwicky, all teams check in."

Silence filled the air, with no response from anyone.

"I repeat: this is Commander Witwicky all teams check in."

He heard a knock on the door. "Sir, this is Agent Delacruz. We got trouble outside."

"I figured that. What kind?"

The NSA operative explained. "Eight Knightmares so far and counting. I just contacted any other friendlies that were nearby. The building's surrounded by hostiles, with an assortment of Tangos inbound on the firm's position."

_Damn. We're outnumbered, _Spike cursed in his mind. "Roger that, keep Reinfield secured while I get the others. Faulker, Gillspie, if you're on the net please respond."

"We're still here sir. We still got local comms," Faulkner replied.

"Get every agent that you can reach and have them arm up. Looks like we're about to have company."

"They're already here," Gillspie said.

"What?"

"Knightmares. I see three of 'em outside the front entrance. The rest of the Autobot security team is down."

_This situation just got worse_... the naval officer thought bitterly. "I take it they were affected by the EMP?"

"Apparently so. It doesn't look like they're getting up any time soon. And help's still fifteen minutes away," Faulkner explained.

"Then do whatever you can. Get the SWAT teams to prepare for physical intrusion. We need to stall the Black Knights long enough for backup to get here," Spike said, finally reaching the front entrance where a team of Third Echelon agents barricaded themselves behind cover and held onto their M4 rifles.

Before the chief liaison could say another word, the ceiling near the NSA agents crumbled into pieces. Sunlight broke through and revealed a group of heavily-armed Knightmares, with one Burai keeping its rifle sighted at the Americans. At the top of one of the adjacent buildings next to the technology firm was the familiar sight of a Burai Kai, its facial appearance that of an oni mask. Spike remembered the mech to be specific to a person who held overall command of a tactical unit in the Black Knights.

"Who's in charge of this facility? I want to speak to him," the Burai Kai boomed. Its cockpit opened and revealed Zero in his usual attire, his cape flowing with the wind.

"That would be me, pal," Spike declared. "So, you're the famous Zero."

"I am, though I am curious as to who you are," the masked man echoed back.

"That you don't need to know. Suffice to say, we've met before on more than one occasion," the SEAL said, keeping himself anonymous. He sensed that he struck a chord of interest in the vigilante's mind.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you killed one of my suspects back at the casino. I'm pretty sure that one rings a bell. Doesn't it?"

"Frances Meier? So it's true, that your group is one of the factions that we've been fighting against."

"That's right. Though I'm kinda curious myself as to why you're here"

"To put it frankly, you stole something that doesn't belong to you. My endgame to you men is this: surrender and I may grant you mercy. Resist, and you die. It's that simple."

"I'd rather resist than give in to the likes of you," Spike shot back in an act of defiance, holding on to his Five-Seven while he pondered what to do. The Black Knights had him backed in a corner. He only hoped that the distress signal that he sent via satellite phone to Jazz's team would arrive soon enough to help ward the enemy off, or else none of the Americans would make it out of the building alive.

**End of Chapter 24**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Not much to say. Props to SC for his idea on Cornelia getting a little softer in regards to Elevens in the Britannian army.


	31. Chapter 25 Spy Games, Part 2: Road Rage

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Third Echelon and Autobot operatives engage the Black Knights in a fight to the death.**

* * *

**Chapter 25 – Spy Games, Part 2: Road Rage**

**Zone 47L  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Returning back from their daytime patrol, Jazz led the twins in vehicle mode, his scanners sweeping the area for hostiles in their surroundings. Most of the streets were cleared since traffic near Harker/Ferguson were outbound. How the Black Knights managed to sneak through undetected and reach the building confounded him. All the questions that boggled through his processor would have to wait until the threat was over.

"Alright bots, listen up: the Americans are pinned down and we got the Black Knights back near HQ with Zero in the lead. Cosmos, what's activity like on the resident agencies?" Jazz asked.

"Local police has called in Knightmare units assigned to the northeastern section of the capital. Assuming if you can get the Black Knights out fast enough, it could get very ugly down there," the orbiting comm tech replied.

"Alright then. That means we need to get there fast and clear 'em out away from home before the cops arrive."

"Yep. Right now I'm tracking sixty hostiles near Commander Witwicky's position. Thirty Knightmares and an assortment of ground personnel attempting to enter inside the building. It looks like the terrorists have some pretty serious hardware with them: assault rifles, submachine guns, and RPGs. The American agents are scrambling back inside and trying to regroup. From what I can see, the building's emergency power line's what's keeping them going, but the main trunk that feeds into the automated defenses is still down. I'm not sure how long they'll be able to hold out before the Black Knights manage to overrun and terminate them."

"Or maybe they'll want to capture the important folks," Jazz said. "The Black Knights are invisible like we are, since they're not giving off any IFF signals. That means we'll need to track them with phosphorus markers while the tachyon sensors are tied up around Earth. The Americans got them stashed back inside the building, so we're going to need to get them breathing room so they can retrieve their gear and help us take 'em down."

"Good plan. But how do you suppose we take on a small army with humans in the mix?" Sideswipe asked.

"Simple: we improvise with what we've got. Keep in mind this is _us_ they're going to be dealing with. I also have one ace in the hole," Jazz answered before he tapped into his voice-comm link: [Mirage, where are you?]

[About several blocks out,] the intelligence agent said.

[Get back to HQ as quickly as you can. We got trouble. The Black Knights has got Spike's team cornered.]

[I know. I got the emergency distress call that Commander Witwicky sent. You'd be interested to know there's a group of Knightmares coming in from the east, along with several vehicles.]

[Are they with the Black Knights?]

[No. It's the local police,] Mirage replied.

[Try to keep them away as long as you can,] Jazz said before he terminated his link. "Alright guys, let's move out!"

The Lambo twins and their leader shifted gears and raced through 5th Street en route to the Third Echelon personnel stuck inside the firm. By themselves, the trio were facing against vastly superior odds, and Jazz figured it would take more than just cleverness from him and the twins to win the day. He wanted to see for himself just how far Zero was willing to commit his troops to take on three experienced Cybertronian veterans. Since he knew the man to be an adept leader that relied on the element of surprise to achieve his victories, the special ops lieutenant had a few of his own in store for him that he hoped would turn the tide in their favor.

**Zone 53C  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 **

Lelouch waited patiently for the answer to his ultimatum. He judged his adversary to be something of a stubborn man, which he intends to crush quickly to relieve himself of any interference Harker/Ferguson would pose to his plans in the future. The devastation wrought by his attack on the firm's information systems deepened the blow against the mystery group's chance to find out who he really is. He couldn't take the risk that they discovered his true identity, lest Nunnally and the rest of his friends at Ashford Academy would be in danger.

_And so the pawns move into position. Interesting how a few pieces moved in the right direction can cause so much chaos._

"Zero, Ohgi here. The first ground team is entering inside the building."

"Excellent. Who's taking the charge?" Lelouch asked.

"Yatsuda's leading in first."

_Excellent. His experience in ground combat and experience in the Japan Special Forces Unit prior to the colonization makes him a good choice, _the ex-prince smiled wickedly_. _"Good. As soon as he's in position, contact me. I'll be relaying my instructions shortly."

"Roger," the ex-prince's deputy replied.

_If they surrender, then it this would be an ample opportunity to learn of what these people have been up to and what their true purpose is. Of course, the corollary of this situation as that the men we're up against probably have more experience than we do when it comes to fighting in tight spaces such as this. All we can do now is put them to the test and see what their capabilities are._

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Beads of sweat Spike dripped inside of his mask, since the heat of the sun beamed through inside the structure. He needed to think of something to keep his men from being slaughtered like lambs. He kept his movements subtle as he fished out a flash grenade and signaled one of the other agents that were nearby to do the same. While he suspected that the Black Knights had infrared sensors active, part of the building shielded the Third Echelon personnel obscured the enemy's capability to see through the structure entirely.

"I'm waiting on your answer, mystery man," Zero radioed out, his tone giving off a hint of arrogant confidence that he has won. With the agents scattered, Spike needed to improvise with the personnel he had on hand. The question he asked himself was: what did he have on hand that would be able to distract the enemy and buy themselves more time to regroup?

_Need to think of something fast. _

"Commander, this is Agent Farmer. I got five others with me near the elevator shaft."

"To any agents up front, take position back into the main hallway as soon as the flash grenades go off. Once that happens, we'll fall back and use that location as a choke point to ambush the Black Knights that'll be coming through the front door."

[Spike, it's Jazz, how are you reading me?]

"Crystal. I take it you know how dire our situation is?"

[Bad enough, that I know for sure. Cosmos is streaming a live feed to me and the twins. Mirage is en route to assist.]

"Alright then. How can I help?"

[You know the phosphorus markers you got in the back of the firm?]

"So you want my teams to mark 'em with green phosphorus?" Spike

[Yeah.]

"Well, we actually got a handful of them, but the rest are stashed inside."

[Just as long as they're around, we can use them. It would also be dandy if we can beat the Black Knights without killing them.]

"Jazz, I'm going to be honest with you, that is not an option, especially in the position we're in. With my guys in their sights, I have no other alternative but to have my people defend themselves. You know that just as well as I do."

[Just try not to kill them, alright?]

"I'm not making promises I can't keep. We're flesh and blood and they can easily put a bullet in our brains just as we can to them. That's a chance that I can't take," Spike replied, remaining firm in his decision. The Autobots' sentimentality in sparing the lives of biological enemies sometimes irritated him.  
_ _ _

**Yatsuda's Strike Team  
En route to Harker/Ferguson**

Yatsuda didn't like the fact that he was fighting against a potentially well-trained group of mercenaries with years of training at their disposal. The setup of the structure based on the blueprints that Zero gave him hinted the possibility of a trap. Even though the Black Knights had Knightmares, they were designed at fighting against targets of analogous size and function. The operation involving the breach of the firm required skills and experience of soldiers that have engaged man-to-man on the battlefield. Even though some of the soldiers that were present fought at Narita, the necessary expertise required a little more finesse than the norm.

"Yatsuda to Zero. My team's in position, and the charges are set."

"Good. Place the charges and get ready breach. Tamaki's unit will be providing backup as you move in."

Yatsuda's group consisted of twelve men, with auxiliary teams coming in from the rear to provide additional fire support. Most of them were young, their combat experience revolving primarily around guerrilla action against the Britannian Empire. After this skirmish, they would rid themselves of a threat that has been competing with them over the past several weeks.

"Charges set, sir," one of the operatives informed.

"Alright everyone, take cover," the former commando instructed.

"Zero, Yatsuda here. The charges are set and we're ready to move in."

"Good, detonate it now."

While the group moved behind an ad hoc barrier, the charges detonated and blasted the main entrance door into pieces. The nearest Black Knight team that were at the entrance donned their gas masks to prevent themselves from inhaling the fumes. As the smoke cleared, several of them checked their weapons one last time before they brought them to bear down against their enemies. By then Yatsuda signaled the first group to advance.  
_ _ _

"Your time's up, mystery man," Zero declared.

Noting the warning. Spike maintained his composure while kneeling on the ground. Time ran out, and he needed to act now. Already he heard the distant clamor of footsteps as the boots of the Black Knight terrorists echoed through the main hallway.

"Sir, what do we do now?" asked one of the agents.

"Just one thing," Spike whispered before pulling the pin the grenade and rolled the device onto the ground. It detonated and flashed before the Black Knights' eyes as they came in, temporarily disorienting them. "Run like hell."

As the Third Echelon agents retreated, several more of the Black Knights breached their way through the door with weapons blazing. Spike sighted his M4 and fired a controlled pair into the chest of one of the incoming terrorists. They in turn fired back at his team.

"Delacruz, Farmer, this is Commander Witwicky. Find a team of agents and get some green phosphorus markers from the back of the building. Then go topside in the adjacent structures without being seen. Once you're in position, mark the enemy Knightmare Frames so Jazz's unit can track them."

"Couldn't we track them by satellite, sir?" Farmer asked.

"Not at this time. Since Prime's fleet has dedicated most of its resources towards space defense, we're stuck with localized tracking systems. Just the stuff and get into position quickly."

"Copy that, sir," Delacruz said.

"Everyone else, fall back! I repeat: fall back!" Spike instructed. He ran backwards and kept firing to prevent the enemy from moving any farther. He fished out a frag grenade from one of his pouches and pitched it in the direction of the intruders. Seconds passed before he heard and explosion and saw three of the terrorists fly high into the air before they crashed back down. He bought he and his men some time, which slowly ticked away as the enemy pushed inward.

**Black Knight Forces  
Zone 53C, Tokyo Settlement **

Lelouch slowly grew anxious in rushing forth into action. In his youth, whenever he played chess, he learned that it was never wise to rush your moves. Since that time, he also recalled that the more time that was wasted in plotting your tactics, it also gave the enemy more time to plan their own counterattack, which meant that his window of opportunity was closing and they would have to take it soon.

"We got them backed into a corner. I say we head in there right now!" Tamaki said, anxious to rush in and get some easy kills.

"Patience. This is their home territory. They may be foolish but they are far from powerless. Do not be quick to underestimate them," Lelouch said.

A small chunk of rock banged against the head of Tamaki's Burai. The fiery rebel turned and saw via his factsphere sensor a familiar sight. Lelouch turned a saw a white Knightmare with race stripes around its metallic figure.

"What the hell?"

"Can't we all just get along?" called a white Knightmare, who sat perched high above one of the structures about a hundred meters away from Lelouch's location. He arched his eyebrow as he glanced at the mech momentarily before he recognized it as a machine belonging to the company.

"You're the white Knightmare from Narita," Lelouch noted.

"Yeah. You can just call me Jazz," the machine said, tossing a rock up and down in the palm of its hand. "Those are friends of mine inside that building."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. Tell you what, I'm gonna give you two options: y'all can walk and we can pretend this was just a misunderstanding."

"Petty idealism isn't going to get you anywhere, Jazz."

"Funny thing is I had a feeling you would say that. So I brought some friends along for a change."

"Friends?" the ex-prince asked, slightly bewildered.

"Yeah," Jazz finished, pointing to a pair of similar-looking yet distinctly different Knightmares. Both of their figures shined in the sunlight as they stood high. One was bright yellow, with traces of red and two arrays mounted on the sides of its head. Its arms were crossed, which was a sign that he was looking for trouble. The other one was red, with a calm and unusually relaxed stance as it circled its right arm. Both of them bore red facial insignias like their white compatriot on their chest plates.

"Meet Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They're the brawlers of my little group, and they're the kind of fellas that don't take bullying of our friends very lightly."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of veiled threat?" the ex-prince scoffed, feeling insulted that three cocky Knightmare pilots intended to take on the strength of a combined force of thirty KMFs with an assortment of infantry.

"I'd think of it more as a friendly warning. An incentive to leave my buddies alone."

"I'm afraid that's impossible, considering that your 'friends' stole something that didn't belong to them."

Jazz smiled coolly, maintaining his composure. "In that case, we'll give your peeps a whoopin' they ain't gonna forget."

_I can't afford a distraction a time like this! _Lelouch thought to himself. "All KMF teams, listen up! There are three hostiles within the immediate vicinity, spread out and destroy them!"

Soon after Jazz finished his speech he jumped off the roof of the building he sat upon and changed into vehicle mode. Lelouch founded the white Knightmare's behavior to be perplexing. From the pilot's speech, he founded it somewhat sentimental that they were not interested in killing the Black Knights compared to the personnel working at Harker/Ferguson. Those facts led Lelouch to believe that there was a possibility that he was dealing with two different groups working together as an alliance. **  
_ _ _**

**Jazz's Team **

All three of the Autobots rode together in formation as a group. Jazz positioned himself ahead of the two brothers as they drove at 60 miles per hour and climbing. The Knightmares that pursued them were fast, but they were faster, an advantage that they exercised to great effect.

"Now that we got their attention, the Americans should have a little breathing room," the special ops lieutenant said.

"So what do we do now?" Sideswipe said.

Jazz shifted gears and stopped before changing back into his robot form. "We'll spread out and take 'em down. Non-lethal force only."

"Right," Sunstreaker responded, he transformed back into robot mode and flexed his servos, ready to give the Black Knights a taste of his fists for a change. The former gladiator itched for battle, ready to tear up some frames with his bare servos. His expression changed from the usual serious look to one of sickening delight, which portrayed his motivation to fight.

Dozens of bystanders that were still inside the premises screamed in panic at the sight of the mass conglomeration of machines that were in the area. Jazz recalled that the Black Knights claimed themselves to be fighters against tyranny, yet their presence inside the settlement was more than enough to heighten the populace into a state of fear. He figured that in the people's hysteria, the fact that they were clearing out of the way could help give his team some breathing room and allow the Autobots to fight against the Black Knight on a footing where no civilians would be harmed.  
**_ _ _**

**Black Knight Assault Group One **

Kallen raced her Guren, accompanied by a group of Burais providing fire support to take down the local Knightmares. She understood that the urgency of the operation in defeating Harker/Ferguson lay on her leadership and skill. With the presence of Jazz and his team in the area, it made the situation that much dire.

"Q-1! This is Zero, do you copy?"

"I'm here," the Guren pilot answered confidently.

"We have hostiles in the area that are trying to prevent us from capturing the men from Harker/Ferguson. The one that's leading the attack is a white Knightmare with racing stripes. Find it and take it out of play!" Zero radioed.

"Roger!" she replied. The white Knightmare came into her sights and she rushed forth after it.

The sports-car hybrid changed into robot mode and leaped high above one of the structures. She judged it as something of a daring feat that amazed her. The white machine jumped off the roof of the structure and transformed mid-way onto the street, racing along the avenues trying to avoid Kallen's pursuit of it. She spotted a Burai firing from an elevated position and recognized it belonging to a female pilot. "Make way, Haruka! I'll take on the white Knightmare!"

"He's all yours, Kallen!" the female Burai pilot said, moving out of the way so the captain of Zero's guard could pursue him.

"Just what I needed! I've been looking for a bit of a challenge!" the red-haired girl said excitedly. Kallen accelerated the Guren and swung her fork knife in a slashing motion. Jazz back flipped away from the Guren and avoided the fatal blow meant to terminate him. She did a followthrough with her attacks and attempted to latch onto his head with her Knightmare's gauntlet. Her face changed into one of sudden surprise when Jazz grabbed onto the wrist and flipped himself on it, maintaining a handstand position before he kicked Kallen's mech into the ground while using the momentum of the push to land himself back onto his feet.

"Close, but no cigar."

He countered with an elbow strike that the red-haired girl evaded as she thrusts her blade into the white machine's midsection, exposing wires from the robot's body. He

"You're not getting away from me that easily!" Kallen said. She fired her slash harken and tried latching it around the white mech's neck. Jazz sidestepped the rocketing anchor as it grazed the side of his helmet. One of his antennae broke off while the anchor retracted itself. It wasn't long before she spotted some kind of laser blast from the white mech's pistol knocked her fork knife out her Knightmare's left hand.

_This guy's good! s_he thought to herself. _But not good enough!_  
_ _ _

_Whoever's piloting that red Knightmare's good. Better watch out_,Jazz thought to himself. _I got a __few tricks up my sleeve, too._

His visor slightly broken, Jazz shook his head while regaining his composure. He slammed his palm gently against his helmet before his sight stabilized and the static cleared. Shortly afterwards, he observed the red Knightmare prepared to attack again and rushed towards him with its silver gauntlet. Jazz dodged away from its claws before an idea popped into his processor.

He activated his internal sound speakers and putted the volume on maximum while muting his internal headphones to protect his hearing. With the click of his internalized remotes, _Welcome to the Jungle_ from the Guns N' Roses group played loudly, stunning his opponent. The sheer volume of the sound shattered the glass from the surrounding structure, giving him an opportunity to break away and run. It bought him more time to figure out what other alternative methods he could use in neutralizing the Black Knights.  
_ _ _

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Fire and smoke fumed across the first floor of the building. The battle inside the firm escalated into sheer chaos, with bodies from both sides littered across the floor. Spike leveled his M4 rifile and used his scope to aim his shots at the heads of one of the Black Knight intruders. Each advance that they took drove the Third Echelon team back. He took notice of the way that they moved, much like a commando unit.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't discard the possibility that the Black Knights had former members of the Japanese military as well. Their presence within the inner corridors of the firm meant that danger was getting much closer.

"Help... somebody..." called out a wounded soldier. It was faint but Spike's ear caught it in time as he tried to make out the sound. The accent was that of Asiatic descent, until he founded where the source of the noise was coming from. He spotted a wounded Black Knight who bled heavily from gunshot wounds.

The chief liaison studied the boy, as red liquid pooled from the young man's wound below his lung. There was nothing else that Spike could do once the man's life expired. As a sign of sympathy in an unusual situation, he closed the young man's eyes and did a cross motion in front of himself as a non-verbal prayer to the dead. Spike soon caught back up with the present and moved back into the main hallway.

The battle pushed from minutes to hours, as the losses mounted on both sides. Yatsuda kept his IBK79 SMG against his shoulder and leveled it in front of him. The former commando signaled the remainder of his to follow him and keep to their sights up. Each step they took was one closer to death. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something out of the shadows and fired several bursts from his weapon, forcing them to take cover. The enemy retaliated by shooting his men down like dogs. He dived onto the ground and sighted the agents coming from the stairs. Seconds after, he threw a frag grenade in their direction. The explosive detonated and killed the enemy operatives in a large blast.

Yatsuda saw the bodies of both his fellow Black Knights and that of the enemy lay dead around the building. The uniforms of the firm's personnel were blue with black bulletproof vests shielding their bodies. Upon closer inspection he noticed a circular patch with a four-clawed talon. Underneath the symbol were five stars, which he wasn't familiar. He pulled out his radio and tried to relay the information back to Zero, only to hear the click of a gun right behind him.

"Don't you move," the man growled. Yatsuda dropped his weapons and raised his hands in surrender. He knew what he was getting into, and guessed that he wouldn't make out of this fight alive. Whether he was fighting against Britannians or not he wasn't sure. The last thing that he saw was the flash of a muzzle before he felt the bullet pierce through his chest.

**Ohgi's Assault Group  
Zone 36Y, Tokyo Settlement **

Ohgi led a group of five Burais in a loose formation as they searched their section of the city for the three hostiles that roamed inside around the city. Like Zero, he knew better than to underestimate them. But he was by no means as adept in plotting the scope of military action that the vigilante was capable of.

"Alright team. We need to search for the red Knightmare. And take him down before he does any more damage to us."

As they cocked their weapons, one of the pilots gave out a warning. "Sir, we just spotted them inside the premises. Should we pursue?"

"Affirmative. Shinose, Ishiro, go after them and take them out of play."

"Roger," the two pilots replied. Two Burais peeled out of the formation and went after the Lamborghinis. Ohgi suspected that the enemy targets were up to something but couldn't figure out what they were trying to do. He intended to set up a trap so that his team could box the twins and prevent them from escaping. Whether the plan would work in his unit's favor remained unknown.  
_ _ _

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe transformed into vehicle mode and went off together, forcing the Black Knights to pursue them. Civilians panicked as the Lambo twins made their swerves around the corners to try to throw their pursuers off-balance. Their wild nature when it came to driving inside the city bewildered the Japanese terrorists.

"'Streaker, let's split so each of us can take one."

"Good idea. See you around," Sunstreaker said, veering away

As Sideswipe drove, he spotted a slanted street where he glided across and landed. His brash action forced his own pursuer to do the same, just as he wanted it to. He nearly drove into a fuel truck, forcing the Burai to try and keep up with him. Tracking the KMF's movements, he did a full U-turn and braked himself before shifting gears and faced in front of the attacker. His wheels whined as he accelerated past the Knightmare before it could stop itself.

The red twin made a sharp turn past a fire hydrant and transformed. During the process, he jumped across the side and pulled out his photon rifle. He fired one shot that struck the fire hydrant, temporarily blinding it before it crashed against one of the buildings. It was temporarily stuck against the structure before it recovered itself and stood face-to-face against the Lambo twin.

Sideswipe tore off one of the Knightmare's slash harken launchers and kept the cabling with him. He intended to give the terrorists a taste of their own medicine. The embarrassment of what he's about to do would make them do things that they'd end up regretting. Sideswipe smirked as he snuck around the empty parts of the city like a wandering ghost, the element of surprise on his side.  
_ _ _

**Ohgi's Assault Group  
Inner Premises **

"They just came out of nowhere."

"Agh, can't move!" shouted one pilot, whose Knightmare went down as it thudded against the concrete.

"What the - GAH!" shouted another. Ohgi heard the metallic clang of another Burai as it crashed downward into the pavement. He accelerated his Burai Upon further inspection he observed that the machine was tied up with a slash harken cable taken from another one of the downed Black Knight mechs. The former schoolteacher imagined the disbelief that they were subdued so quickly.

"Shinose? Ishiro? What happened here?" Ohgi asked.

"The red one tied us up with our own slash harkens..."

"You can't be serious..."

"Does it look like we're kidding?"

"Alright, hang on. We're going to cut you loose. Yusuke! Bring the torch over!"

One of the Black Knight frames accompanying Ohgi brought forth a plasma torch that melted off the cables that bounded the two frames together. As soon as they melted off, the downed pilots got their Knightmares back onto their feet, ready for action.

"They're trying to take us down one-by-one! We need to take them down quickly before the situation gets any worse!" the Black Knight deputy suggested. All of the pilots that were present hummed in agreement as they dispersed to seek out and neutralize their foes.  
_ _ _

**Zone 81  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Amidst the chaos, Sideswipe searched for a place to ambush the roving KMFs. During his endeavor he felt a slash harken cable coil around his neck, with another latching onto his arms. The strength of their combined cabling held him in place, where he was unable to break free. His audio receptors soon caught the sound of firing from a photon blaster, which meant his brother was nearby. The cables snapped as the rays cut through them, allowing the red twin to break free and take on his captors.

Sunstreaker punched a Burai's helmet twice, the strength of his impacts crushing its exterior like a soda can. Sideswipe took aim at one of the Burai's that held him down and fired at its legs. In response, the black Knightmare threw a chaos mine that it had stored within its chassis, flechettes spraying outward in the direction of the twins. The red Lambo pushed his brother aside and fired at the mine, the explosive missing them by mere inches. Sideswipe recovered himself and brushed the dirt off of his metallic skin while holstering his photon blaster. His optics surveyed the damage around him before he turned and faced his brother.

"Thanks."

"Less talking, more fighting," the yellow twin grunted.

While the two conversed, they heard the sound of Knightmares advancing towards their position. Both brothers took a defensive stance back-to-back as they closed in. The twins pressed their knuckles as the enemy pressed the offensive.

"Just like downtown, huh?" Sideswipe said.

"Just like downtown," Sunstreaker smirked. The Black Knight frames came in force, looking like they're ready for a brawl. Excited, the twins felt more than obliged to welcome whatever challenge the Burais had to offer. One of them rushed forth with a stun tonfa.

Sideswipe launched himself into the air and spun around before landing a kick against the shoulder of one of the hostile KMFs. As he landed back down, he elbowed another one of the Burais into submission. The red twin noticed another pair of Knightmares firing at them with their assault rifles.

Considering their persistence, he instinctively knew that they were not going to give up easily. It wasn't long before the red twin noticed that a bystander strayed into the line of fire. Sideswipe dove forward and used his body as a shield as the bullets bounced off of his body. He shrugged off the pain as if it was nothing while cradling the woman in his servos.

"Easy lady, we're the good guys," the red twin mused.

The woman grew wide-eyed at the Lambo twin and yelled at the top of her lungs, running away from

"So much for that," Sideswipe whispered before he heard the sound of his brother yelp in pain. He turned to find that the yellow Lambo was knocked down on his back with dull gray optics. His optics widened in alarm and tried to rush towards the aid of his fallen brother. "Sunstreaker!"

"Hold it right there!" called a Black Knight pilot. It had an anti-armor launcher pointed its direction, and looked big enough to make a dent in his armor or worse. He saw that his brother wasn't moving, instead standing under the feet of the red KMF that accompanied Zero's forces.

"Don't even think about trying to move! We have you surrounded," Tamaki warned.

"As far as I can recall, the word 'surrender' doesn't compute for me," the red Knightmare taunted.

"You're gonna regret pissing me off!" Tamaki yelled, breaking out his stun tonfas and readying himself.

"That so? Show me what you got," it challenged.

Tamaki accelerated his Burai and swung his arms forward. The rebel fighter was caught by surprise when the red twin sidestepped the attack and slammed its black-plated fist to the back of his mech's helmet. As he was down, it picked his Burai up and held it just several feet above the ground. It arched its ice-blue optics in a menacing manner.

"Your first mistake was trying to even _attempt_ to kill me, and now you're gonna pay," it said angrily, throwing Tamaki's mech into the air as it crashed back on the ground.

Kallen stood her ground, after noticing that the red and yellow mechs fighting side by side. As soon as it had her Knightmare in sight, she postured herself and watched as the red mech rushed towards her position. It was the perfect bait to lure it in, as she kept her gauntlet on standby. When it came within 100 meters, she fired her slash harken and latched around its neck. As the cable latched itself onto the enemy, she used her machine's strength to draw it towards her and extended her primary weapon. It successfully latched onto his arm, and the enemy was unable to break free. She snickered and activated the gauntlet, the energy of the device channeling through the Guren's forearm and onto her opponent's arm. The immense buildup changed into a concentrated burst and blew the enemy away.

"Gaaah!" it yelped in pain, as the force of the explosion sent it flying and crashing into one of the adjacent city structures. Smoke fumed from its left arm socket. It struggled to recover itself but never got back up. After the immense fighting with the red and yellow frames, victory remained hers.  
_ _ _

**Paladium Apartment Complex  
Zone 32R, Tokyo Settlement**

Above one of the apartment complexes, Delacruz adjusted the scope of the .50 cal sniper rifle and moved the reticle at one of the joints. As he calculated his shot, he loaded an armor-piercing round into the chamber of the weapon. He was glad that the second Third Echelon team brought the gear over.

"Agent Quinn, Agent Francks this is Agent Delacruz, you copy?"

"We copy, Agent Delacruz."

"How's it looking with the phosphorus markers?" the Hispanic operative questioned.

"We're in the process of setting up the mortar launchers."

"Good. Release the canisters and mark 'em when you're ready."

"Roger," Francks answered back.

When the conversation finished, the sniper focused back on his present task. "You're not getting away from this one, asshole."

As Delacruz adjusted for the final shot, he took aim and fired a round into the knee joint of what he suspected to be the Knightmare in charge of that particular group. The shot traveled at high velocity and struck right on target, shattering the limb into pieces.  
_ _ _

Ohgi stood and prepared before he heard a clang against his Knightmare. He held onto his instruments as he felt his body crashed against the seat while the frame fell on its right side. He tried to initiate the ejection port, only to find that it didn't work the first time around. Electricity arced around his cockpit, but not to the point of criticality.

"What was that?" one of the pilots pondered, glancing at the green cloud that marked their machines. The dusty substance made them stand out like Christmas lights, and they had no means in which to remove it. Ohgi ignored the chatter and instead focused on his current problem.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. He adjusted another one of his controls, only to find that they were not functioning correctly. Ohgi switched to emergency power, which allowed the hatch to his cockpit to open. He spotted the Guren not too far away and waved his arms as a sign to get Kallen to pick him up. When the red KMF arrived, she extended its left hand and opened her cockpit. "Get in."

"Thanks. We still got the white Knightmare called Jazz to deal with."

"Don't worry, it's already been taken care of."  
_ _ _

As soon as Delacruz finished his shot, he unpacked his weapon and prepared to move to another location. He figured that Mirage was doing the same thing against the police, both of them picking off their targets like flies.

"Commander, this is Agent Delacruz. We got the markers going, but I got some bad news for you."

"What is it?"

"The Lamborghini brothers are both down, and Jazz is alone right now."

"Dammit. Get any available agents and assist him," the liaison instructed. Despite his instruction, they would be too late to assist. The odds scaled in the favor of Zero's forces.

**Zone 84J**  
**Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Jazz snuck around, keeping out of sight from the enemy. Photon rifle in hand, he swung it slowly in a wide arc and ensured his surrounding clear. Just as he was about to transform, three Black Knight Burais fired above, pelting his armor with volleys of ammunition. He in turn fired back and try to put them out of commission.

By the time he reached another building, three slash harkens coiled around his arms and one of his legs. Unable to break free, the special ops lieutenant tried to utilize his strength to tear the cables off. Instead, another anchor wrapped around his left leg, completely immobilizing him. Taking advantage of this moment, three Burais gathered around him and swung away with their plated fists. The amount of abuse he was taking was enough to weaken him and bring him to his knees. Jazz soon slumped into unconsciousness while the Black Knights dragged him away to their leader.

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Ratchet and Wheeljack arrived via orbital-jump teleport into the facility where several Americans lie dead or mortally wounded. The Autobots that were shut down from the initial EMP remained dormant, their optics a dull gray, showing no signs of activity. Spike saw them went to work immediately on the bodies to get an analysis on the time frame of their allies' recovery. Ratchet did a looksee on the Autobot troops that were immobile, with Ironhide as his first patient. The security officer's limp chassis showed no indications of movement.

"We just received your distress signal about ten cycles ago," the CMO said, breaking out pieces of equipment and assembling them on site.

"Ratchet, good to have you here. Ironhide and the security team's down, and I got a lotta wounded over here," Spike said. He observed a small crate carrying small robots with scalpels and other instruments hovering over the bodies of the Americans that were wounded or dead.

"I got med-drones on standby. We'll take in as many as we can."

"His spark's still active but his CPU's offline. I'll need to initiate a re-boot to get him back on."

"Hurry, we don't have a lot of time,"

"I'll work as fast as I can," Ratchet said, trying to jumpstart his inoperative friend.

"Commander, this is Agent Gillspie. The convoy's ready to leave."

"All, have the first trucks that are set to clear out until we can find another location to set ourselves up again," Spike instructed.

"Copy that," both agents replied. The chief liaison focused on gathering whatever agents that were still standing to prepare for defensive action. They all sported blue uniforms and bulletproof vests. All of them were armed with M4 rifles leveled onto the floor.

"I better go help and supervise the evacuation. I got some holo-emitters that I adapted from Hound to disguise ourselves so that we can blend in the environment without being detected."

"Just do what you need to do. Me and the SWAT teams will cover the evacuation. Agents Faulkner and Gillspie, send whatever agents you have available and have them regroup with my unit over near entrance! We need to barricade the Black Knights and stop them from pushing farther inside."

"Copy that. Four of our agents are on the way to assist you."

Spike kept himself fighting against the impending attack as the enemy pressed forward.  
_ _ _

Lelouch caught the radio chatter that fluctuated between the different units of his forces. Screams of panic from the Black Knight personnel that were wounded or bounded up rung through his ears, and men trying to the drew urges from his advisors telling him to retreat. He only gave them silence, pondering in deep thought at a very bad time. It wasn't until after that he finally caught a hint of good news from Kallen. The three Knightmares that attempted to defeat the Black Knights instead founded themselves defeated. He watched as two of the Burais dragged the white Knightmare and had it kneel before him.

"You are very quick to underestimate me, Jazz. While you are quite resourceful, but you forget  
that I am, too."

"Well, guess I learned my lesson," the operative replied.

"And now I'm going to make an example out of you for defying me."

"I still got one ace in the hole," the white robot replied. Lelouch widened his eyes in surprise as the Burai Kai's rifle was knocked out of its hand. He tried to backtrack where the shot came from. As he surveyed the surroundings, he groaned in dismay as the shooter was nowhere in sight. Pilots from other KMFs of the task force yelped in surprise as their weapons were knocked out of their hands.

"You bastard!" Lelouch yelled angrily.

Noticing his leader's anger, Ohgi radioed in. "Zero, we have to face the facts: we're at a stalemate here and the police are coming. We don't have the manpower to take on this kind of opposition," Ohgi warned. The Black Knight mech squadron were operating at a third of their strength. Soon they would be fighting against the city, and unintentionally lead his troops to their deaths.

"Very well. We've done what we came here to do, let's move out!" Lelouch commanded, moving his Burai Kai along with the other remaining Black Knight frames that withdrew themselves from battle. He turned back and opened up his cockpit, standing pround and tall. The ex-prince then pointed his index finger, as if placing an unspoken curse on the downed machine. "We're not finished here, Jazz!"

After his declaration, all that remained was silence between the two enemies, and the distant clamor of police Knightmares coming into the battle area. Lelouch didn't feel the need to push his troops any further. Regardless of the failure to capture personnel from the technology firm so that they could be interrogated, he instead focused on the present moment and smiled at his victory as he rode forth.

**Harker/Ferguson Technologies  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

"How bad is it?" Spike asked to the agents inside the server room. He saw Kim and Calder check up on the remains on the electronics stored inside of the workspace. All that remained of them were burnt pieces of gear, which he determined was due to the severity of the EMP and virus attacks.

"The hard drive that you retrieved's been destroyed, sir," Calder said.

"So it's not recoverable?" Spike asked the female analyst. She shook her head.

"Negative. Most of the computers inside the building are fried. The only ones that we have intact are the ones that have been electromagnetically shielded inside the crates the other teams brought in."

Spike had never been more infuriated in his life. "Dammit! How the hell did they manage to find us in the first place?"

"Most of the data on Lelouch Lamperouge's been deleted."

"Including the backups?"

"All of them sir," Kim elaborated, adding to whatever anger that welled within Spike, which grew in magnitude as he groaned in disbelief while wailing his arms.

"I can't believe this. We had him, damn it. WE HAD HIM!"

Amidst the commotion, Jazz came with a wounded Sideswipe over his shoulder, and watched as his human friend became more irate while the seconds ticked by.

"Jazz? What happened?"

"The BKs took us down hard, bro. Sunstreaker's still outside, and we got to go back out there."

Wheeljack came about and nodded in understanding of the situation.

"I'll go get him," the chief engineer offered, changing into vehicle mode and driving off to retrieve the yellow twin. While the evacuation was underway, a tone blared repeatedly through Jazz's helmet. The Autobot officer tapped into his voice comm circuit to find out what was going on.

[Jazz, we've got a problem,] Mirage called.

[What is it, Mirage?]

[Several more knight police are en route to Harker/Ferguson. It'd be best if the Americans clear out now.]

[Time frame?]

[Fifteen cycles and counting.]

[Hold them off as long as you can,] Jazz said. "Spike, there are cops on the way over. We need to get out now."

The SEAL nodded at his friend's advice. "Time for us to disappear. Gillspie, Faulkner, we all set?"

Faulkner nodded. "The first batch of trucks have already left the firm. We're ready to go when you are, sir."

Spike climbed aboard the final truck with any Americans that were alive, wounded or dead, in tow. The field transports that carried the NSA equipment were hidden underground. They carried no markings, except that of the Tokyo Police department. Spike had it planned a while back that in case things went south the NSA would be able to escape without too much of a hassle.

Faulkner and Gillspie stood alongside the chief liaison in the back of the cargo truck. The chief liaison and the two lead agents watched as the explosion collapsed what was once the Americans' home into pieces. There was no turning back, and the team would have to find a new location to settle down and re-establish their operations. And once they got back up and running again, Spike was more than willing to give a little payback for the Americans that died.

**End of Chapter 25**

* * *

****

Author's Notes:

Just to give a heads up for my readers that I'll be training in school prior to my deployment to Japan. I'll try and update whenever possible if I got time to spare.

Props to SC for his continued assistance in the development of this fic.


	32. Chapter 26 The Gathering

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**The Decepticon mercenaries meet with their hosts on Earth, while Suzaku meets with Princess Cornelia and her sister at the banquet.**

* * *

**Chapter 26 – The Gathering **

**Rigel Airfield  
Hokkaido, Area 11 North **

Banzai-Tron, Runamuck, Runabout, and a group of other Decepticon mercenaries awaited the arrival of their benefactors. The area that they stood in was lush, shielded by greenery that obscured the sight of any onlookers. Those that were unfortunate enough to even step foot near them would face a gruesome death.

They saw the familiar figure of the warlord out in the distance, along with that of his communications officer Soundwave. His silver-white armor gleaming under the sunlight. As the mercenaries advanced to their host, the cyber-ninja was the first to bow down before the leader of the Decepticons on Earth. Megatron raised his palm as a sign for the assassin to rise up.

"Greetings, Lord Megatron," Banzai-Tron said.

"Banzai-Tron. As ever, your presence is greatly appreciated."

The mercenaries that stood behind Banzai-Tron scoffed at his action. Ever silent, the assassin brushed their jealousy aside and remained firm in his poise. Thoughts of fighting against the former gladiator rose in his processor.

"I have summoned you here on a mission of great importance. One that you will be greatly rewarded for if it succeeds as planned."

"Perhaps we can discuss business in a more controlled setting where we can talk undisturbed."

"Very well," Banzai-Tron. The assassin thought about killing the Decepticon warlord outright. But there was more benefit to hearing what had to be said before deciding on an action. Otherwise, why would he go through all the trouble of getting a group of mercenaries over planetside. Whatever the reason, the payment that he was given proved to be more than enough justification to hear what Megatron had to say.

"I am curious as to why you have summoned just a mere dozen mercenaries to handle a heavily armed task force of Autobot soldiers and their human compatriots. Their talents are somewhat... oh how should I put it... lacking," the cyber-ninja declared.

"Though I may agree with you in some regards to the... personalities that have assembled here today, they would prove instrumental in a much greater role that I have in mind for them in the foreseeable future," Megatron explained. "As for your arrival, I summoned you and your compatriots for two reasons: because I intend to make our enemies fight for every strip of territory on this miserable planet. And because I have use for your talents."

"So I've come to understand."

"One of my generals is in the outer rim. And as you saw, the Autobots have the solar system heavily guarded with their fleet of warships."

"I am assuming the general you're referring to is Stryka? The one who's been fighting a guerrilla war against one of your other generals as well as Prime's forces?"

"Yes. Come, I will show you."

Upon the adjournment of the gathering, Soundwave guided the mercenaries to another space adjacent to the airfield where they'll supply themselves for an upcoming mission. Meanwhile, Megatron led Banzai-Tron into an underground chamber were a group of facsimiles belonging to Lukas International. Mainly scientists, they dabbled in the creation and experimentation of new bioweapons that were already field-tested in the Yokosuka dockyards, with several shipments already en route to mainland Africa.

When Megatron and Banzai-Tron reached their final destination, they stood in front of a massive holographic display. As it went online, it projected a representation of the Sol System and illuminated the space within. At the far left of the display was the Earth, with one bright pink spot marking the location of Area 11, which indicated to the assassin that the colony had some value. Outside of the Earth was a large array of what appeared to sensor nets positioned above the planet's atmosphere, with several more situated throughout the local system.

In a separate section, a Decepticon insignia represented the task force attempting to reach the alternate Earth by bypassing Autobot-controlled space via lightly guarded trade routes and nebulae. Positions of numerous starships dotted distant corners of the galaxy.

"As you saw earlier, the Autobots have great control over much of space. Especially the one near this Earth."

"Their positioning is excellent. Any ship that attempts to break out of the system would be shot down or blocked from trying to enter," Banzai-Tron observed.

"Yes. With that in mind, we will need to disable part of the fleet's detection network to detect any incoming ships so that Stryka's forces will be able to enter and assist us."

"I do not see how you intend to break the blockade, especially if Stryka attempts to sneak through the fleet's tachyon grid."

"Which is why we will be launching an operation that will cripple their detection capabilities and allow our forces to break through unimpeded. That is where you come in."

Banzai-Tron nodded. "What's the entry point?"

"The _Trion_'s main hangar bay. Dealer already has the security codes to ensure that you and the other mercenaries you will be working with enter undetected."

"And my task?"

"Your mission will be to 'assassinate' Optimus Prime," the warlord stated flatly. Banzai-Tron studied the Decepticon leader's expression, which remained calm and poised. In the inner recesses of his spark, the cyber-ninja sensed that it wasn't the overall goal of the operation.

"I am under the impression that you don't really want me to terminate him."

Megatron nodded in acknowledgement. "Our real objective is to disable the outer tachyon network. While their attention is drawn away with you on board, a unit led by Bombburst proceed through the lower decks and place explosives in the astrophysics section that controls part of the network. Once the control node is destroyed, we will be able to sneak reinforcements through the Sol System."

"Hmm, sounds simple enough. Though I am concerned that the presence of the other mercenaries will draw attention. While I have no problems in keeping myself invisible when I have to, I can't say the same for the majority that will be joining this mission."

"We have signal dampeners that will allow the troops to move through as far as possible inside the ship without being detected by internal ship sensors. Prime himself will be heavily guarded with security troops. It is up to you to make the enemy think you'll 'terminate' him and throw the Autobot forces off balance. However, if you happen to be successful in your attempt to bring him offline, I will double the amount of which I am currently paying you as a reward."

"Those troops may be well-trained, but not enough to avoid the likes of me."

"I'm glad we are at an understanding," the warlord said with a sinister grin.

"My apologies for being rude, my lord. You mentioned that you would explain as to why you have called us on this backwater planet on a quest of such scope that is beyond the capabilities of mere soldiers," Banzai-Tron pointed out.

"There is a large deposit of ore-13 hidden within the deepest confines of this planet. Rich quantities of it. I must have it."

The assassin offered a curious glance at Megatron. "Ore-13? The same kind which Shockwave developed during the Great War?"

"Yes, the very same kind."

"How does it exists over in this universe over here?"

"As I'm certain you're aware: when Cybertron was on the verge of destruction, Shockwave developed ore-13 as an alternative energy source since energon was at a premium back on the homeworld. What you don't know is that he has experimented in planting and gradually develop these sources in other timelines, which was made possible since he had access to transwarp technology that could breach other dimensions."

"I take it he was successful in his endeavor?"

Megatron nodded in answer to the assassin's inquiry. "Yes. He managed to keep this secret even from me, until I discovered from the Golden Disk the coordinates of the general location of ore-13. Unfortunately, the information on the disk itself is encoded, with the actual location of the main vein where the largest deposit of ore-13 remains hidden. As of now, we only have access to small quantities of it. While I consider it a blessing of sorts that Shockwave has given us something that will allow us to rise back into power once more, the situation is not without consequence."

"You want to wipe out the humans?" Banzai-Tron inquired.

Megatron leaned against the console, glaring at the pink dot that marked Area 11. "In due time. We have agents throughout each of the world's so-called superpowers, we do not have sufficient resources to mount a full-scale invasion."

"What about the Autobot forces back in our galaxy?"

Composed, the former gladiator took up a piece of rock and held it in his servos. His optics lit up bright red that showed the hatred he held against humanity, in all dimensions.

"We will take care of them after our business is finished here and obtained a sufficient quantity of ore-13. The humans that rule this world have harnessed an energy source that is _ours_ by right," the warlord hissed as he crushed the earthen object in his hand, the pieces crumbling onto the floor beneath his feet. "And for that offense, they shall suffer dearly. I will see to it that they pay the price for their arrogance."

**Banquet Hall  
Government Bureau, Tokyo Settlement**

Suzaku dressed in his service white uniform, donning his fisticuffs and adjusting them onto his hands. He stood in front of the door, seeing an elderly man standing tall. The Lancelot pilot recognized him as the butler for the two royal sisters, who bowed before the presence of the young man. He never expected this kind of treatment, which was something new to him.

"Princess Cornelia has been expecting you, Warrant Officer Kururugi," the butler said.

The Lancelot pilot nodded and proceed inside. His eyes widened in amazement at the elegance of the chamber before he looked back onto the table where officials of the imperial administration say. All of the people present consisted of members within the viceroy's inner circle, including her knight Guilford, General Darlton, Vice Minister Lowell. On Cornelia's left Princess Euphemia sat waiting patiently for the arrival of her savior and friend. She smiled once Suzaku stepped through the door, admiring how handsome he looked.

As Suzaku walked forward and expressed surprise at what he saw before him. The lights from the chandelier over the table illuminated a marvelous sight: smoky pot roast with large glass bowls of fresh fruits and vegetables, with a variety of other delectable dishes. He would savor in the feasting alongside his comrades and his prospective lover. The Lancelot pilot suddenly founded himself admiring the way she was dressed, her shoulders widely exposed, her skin smooth to the touch.

_No, I can't think that way of her!_ Suzaku thought to himself. He knew deep down that as much as he wanted to, he couldn't fall in love with her. Having such an affair with a member of the royalty was taboo in his case, and bordered on fraternization since Euphemia is technically his superior next to Cornelia. Suzaku waved off the thoughts momentarily and focused on the present.

"Glad you made it, Kururugi, we've been expecting you," Cornelia smiled, something of a rarity for the young Lancelot pilot. The steely demeanor that she usually carried with her into battle was not present. Since they were in a formal but sterile setting, Suzaku would slowly learn of the human side that the viceroy kept hidden (save for her sister). "Please, sit."

"Thank you, Your Highness. This is quite a pleasant surprise," Suzaku smiled wholeheartedly.

"Good to see you, Warrant Officer," Cecile said warmly, though she normally addressed the young man on a first name basis, the circumstances of which they were dining tonight forced the staff (excluding Lloyd) to act formally in the presence of the viceroy. She was dressed in a gold-yellow gown that accentuated her frame.

"Same to you, Lieutenant Croomy," Suzaku answered. Afterwards he turned his attention back to his host. "I'm honored that you invited me and my co-workers for this banquet, Your Highness."

"Yes, this is quite remarkable," Lloyd smiled wholeheartedly. He took another bite of his chicken breast, and finished the piece with an impish grin on his face. "A step from Mrs. Croomy's cooking."

"Oh, you!" the Britannian officer pouted, giving her superior a reprimanding look that was enough to make him cow slightly in fear. Cecile liked to cook for people, though the delectables she comes up with have given more than upset stomachs to numerous members of the ASEEC staff.

"Whoops, forgot you were still here," the quirky scientist laughed.

"Now that the chief members of the ASEEC members are here, I would like to make a toast to Warrant Officer Kururugi, for his actions in the defense of his fellow Britannians," Cornelia declared, holding her wine glass high as others followed suit. "To Warrant Officer Kururugi, I salute you."

All of the personnel present clanged their glasses and continued on with the meal. Suzaku drank and noticed the bitter taste of the wine that was served. It took a moment before his mouth adjusted to the flavor of the wine. He took another sip of his glass, and noticed that Euphemia drank the aged liquid with relative ease, which he figured is a perk of being a member of the royalty since birth. Suzaku then turned his attention towards Cornelia, who lowered her glass on the table, appearing as though she was about to say something. She rose to full height once again and said: "Members of the ASEEC, I like to re-iterate that I summoned you here not only to express my thanks for your service, but to discuss something that is to be held in the strictest of confidence. Once I say what I have to, it does not go beyond this room. Are we clear?"

Everyone, including Suzaku, kept quiet after her declaration. The honorary Britannian figured that whatever needed to be revealed was information that could throw the population into even more of a panic. The state of mind of Britannian citizens throughout the colony made life uneasy. People grew nervous at things they do not comprehend, and the things he was about to see would illustrate why Cornelia would want to keep the meeting secret save for those she trusts.

"Earl Asplund, if you please?" the viceroy asked.

Nodding, the lead contractor of the ASEEC stood on his feet and activated an overhead projector that showed still pictures of the remains of the traitor Sutherlands at Narita and the insectoids encountered back in Yokosuka.

"For the past several weeks we have been studying on the recent appearances of transformable Knightmares and other phenomena. Our main concern, however, are these supposed 'traitor' Knightmares that have turned against our forces at the Narita Mountains and the insectoids encountered at the dockyards in Yokosuka. Judging from the autopsies of the bodies and metallurgical surveys from both battle areas, I have come to the conclusion that there are... other civilizations not native of this planet involved."

"You suspect that there are other sentient beings involved?" Cornelia asked in slight disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes, Your Highness," Lloyd answered. "The evidence back at Narita speaks for itself. After analyzing it thoroughly, we have indeed concluded that the supposed virus that took over the Sutherlands are not of human design. My team is one among dozens that have pored through every scrap of data that we have, and we've got nothing on them. I've never seen anything like it. Firstly, the phenomena that apparently took over the Sutherlands and turned them against your troops contained traces of some form of virus, which appears to be human on the surface. Once the layers are peeled away, they reveal something else."

"What do you mean?" Euphemia asked.

The head researcher adjusted his glasses before he continued. "Upon further examination we noticed that there were anomalies within the remains of bodies back at the mountains. They contained a unique combination of cellular tissue that is appears native of our Earth, with segments of nanites in-between."

"So the personnel records that we read up on earlier are agents manufactured by _alien_ species?" General Darlton inquired, which surprised himself since he even bothered bringing the question to the table.

"Yes, and that's not all. The insect creatures back at Yokosuka are clearly of alien origin. No power on this planet possesses the manufacturing capability to create such nightmarish things. The fact that their internal organs contains a modified version of the same virus and infects humans upon contact would classify them as creatures not native of Earth."

Guilford nodded in agreement to the earl's observations. "It makes sense. Though I find it interesting is that the creatures initially attacked the being called Megatron before he brought them under his control. Is it possible that he himself is an alien?"

"I am not certain. What I can say is that the evidence we do have on hand further supports my conclusion that these two things are of alien manufacture."

While the earl continued explaining his observations of mysterious activity through Area 11, one of Cornelia's lieutenants stepped through the door and walked towards the viceroy. He carried a folder with the imperial seal, holding onto its contents as if his life depended on it. The second princess stiffened her body slightly at the sight, wondering what exactly was contained within the package the younger officer was carrying. As soon as he closed his distance to the princess, he handed it to her in earnest and saluted her out of respect.

"Your Highness, I have something to report to you."

"What is it?" Cornelia asked.

"There was a battle that took place in the settlement about an hour ago within the city premises."

"What? How did they manage to slip past our defenses?" General Darlton asked in an irate tone.

"We're uncertain, sir. The local police tried to apprehend the participants of the battle, and unfortunately both the Black Knights and the corporate firm personnel escaped."

"This is intolerable! Zero managed to sneak right under our noses and get away without so much as a trace!" Vice Minister Lowell shouted as he smashed his fist on the table.

"It does not matter. Right now we need to focus on more troubling concerns," Cornelia said in an even tone. "You may leave, Lieutenant."

Nodding, the young officer left the gathering to confer amongst themselves. The viceroy and everyone else around her sported concerned looks at the revelation of the increasing number of threats inside the colony. In spite of her army's efforts, the mysterious enemies slips through the cracks. No success has been made in determining the extent of the infiltration throughout the ranks of the imperial army. Due to the dire nature of the situation, she was willing to take all the help she can get from back home. After sipping another glass of wine, Cornelia slowly rose onto her feet and said: "Since we have sustained heavy losses, I have contacted Prince Schneizel. He has sent a contingent of troops to provide support for our forces, along with two of the Knights of the Round that will be part of the task force."

"Prince Schneizel, hmm? This is quite an interesting development," Lloyd noted.

"The Knights of the Round?" Suzaku exclaimed in surprise. He never expected their name to be mentioned, since he knew by reputation that they are the emperor's personal cadre of elite Knightmare pilots, who only answers directly to Charles zi Britannia himself. He always dreamed of becoming one himself. All he needed was the blessings of a member of the royal family.

Cornelia kept her face straight. "Yes. The additional support teams should be arriving tomorrow evening. During the time we will be going over details of launching another investigation into the matter. There might have been details that we have missed."

All of the occupants of the chamber nodded in agreement. The fact that they were entertaining the presence of aliens here on Earth startled many inside the space, specifically Cornelia, Euphemia and Suzaku. They never knew the extent of how far the infiltration went, but understood in their minds that the colony they lived in faces a dark and uncertain future.

**JLF Submarine Base  
Ryukyu Islands, Area 11 **

Underneath the isles far from the Japanese mainland was an submarine pen that once served as a utilized during the war against the Britannians. Since the empire figured that the base itself held no strategic value, it served as the perfect staging area for the remainder of the Japan Liberation Front to plot its next course of action. The aged rusted look of its rickety walls showed the facility's age.

Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh was in his service uniform, walking towards the space where his subordinates were being briefed on a secret mission of vital importance. As the leader of the Holy Swords walked, he looked into the solemn faces of the soldiers that walked through the passageways. He figured that the enlisted personnel that once served in the Japanese military were eager to fight. The defeats suffered by their forces back at the Narita Mountains, and the slaughter of many of their comrades during the escape at Yokosuka has damaged morale.

He imagined himself in their place. They were tired, living on the fringes of civilization, far away from home. They needed an opportunity, something to empower them to rise up and fight against the oppressors that have stripped their homeland of its pride. All they could do was sulk in hopelessness of their situation. What they needed was hope.

Upon reaching the briefing room, the Holy Sword officers stood by around a focused General Katase as they went over details of the next phase of their operation. The room was lit with a light bulb that dangled from the ceiling and flickered over their heads. In spite of the darkness it provided enough illumination to allow the officers to look at the maps while going over their prospective mission.

"General Katase," the lieutenant colonel said curtly.

The elderly commander rose up and smiled at the presence of his comrade. "Ah, Tohdoh, you've made it."

"I'm sorry I was late, sir. I was running over logistics of the KMFs that are due to be shipped over here," the lieutenant colonel explained coolly.

"There is no need to apologize. We're all very busy."

"I imagined as such, General."

"Hmm. Now that you're here I'll bring you up to speed: we're going over final preparations to migrate temporarily over to the Chinese Federation," Katase said.

"The Chinese Federation?" Tohdoh repeated.

"Yes, since we barely have any assets left in the country, we are preparing to transition our operations and go over the possibility of talks regarding a potential alliance with them."

Tohdoh stood tall at this. He recalled the faces of the soldiers that he crossed by earlier prior to the meeting. They were fighting for the freedom of their homeland. The very notion of them migrating into brought the veteran into a conflicted state. On one hand, the JLF would be able to act freely without the threat of the Britannians encroaching upon them. On the other hand, they would be moving farther away from Japan, lessening their chances of actually liberating their people.

"What's on your mind, Tohdoh?" the general asked, noticing the younger officer's thoughtful look.

"With most of our manpower down, we may need to form an alliance, but not with the Chinese Federation. The other rebel factions, in all honesty, do not stand a chance against the Britannians. Their lack of coordination to do any sort of damage to the imperialists is superficial at best."

"What are you saying, Colonel?" Senba inquired.

Tohdoh braced himself for what he was about to say. He had thought much on this, feeling somewhat ridiculous that he is even suggesting it to his superior and his colleagues. He stated it with all the conviction he could muster.

"I believe we should form a partnership with the Black Knights. They may actually prove to be valuable allies in our cause to take back Japan."

"An alliance with the Black Knights? Preposterous," Urabe scoffed.

"Is it?" the Holy Sword leader asked.

Katase kept himself straight and remained firm in his place. "Such a partnership would be dangerous to our own interests. Zero is the type of man that cannot be trusted."

"I understand your reservations, sir. But I think it's time that we considered the reality of the situation at hand," Tohdoh countered sharply.

"Your suggestion is startling, Colonel," the general answered flatly. "You're saying we should deal with a person in which we hardly know about. Surely you haven't forgotten that Zero killed Colonel Kusakabe in cold blood, along with that of his command staff? Keep in mind that just recently, we found out that _he_ was the cause of the landslide that decimated our troops."

"No sir, I haven't forgotten that Zero killed Kusakabe. However, Colonel Kusakabe was also a fool for taking innocent people hostage back at the convention hotel in the first place. You know what Zero can do. You've seen what has happened back in Shinjuku and Narita. He has managed to scrape up a military force, despite its small size, that fights with a fervor equal to _any_ army. Their bravado extends so high, even the Britannians fear him. If we enlist his aid, we may be able to push out the imperialists that occupy our homeland and return it to its former glory."

The general considered his subordinate's advice carefully. "Japan was once a proud nation. With our forces decimated, any hope of reclaiming our homeland will be in vain. Even if we do ally ourselves with Zero? How much support will he be able to rally throughout the country? Could we guarantee success by even partnering ourselves with his organization? From my standpoint, there are too many unknowns, and a fatal misstep could end the resistance movement. We must measure our steps carefully before entering into such a covenant."

The lieutenant colonel nodded, masking his disappointment. Though he anticipated the response anyway, he did not want to discard the possibility that allying with the Black Knights increases the chance of taking back the mainland. At present, he had no intention of rebelling against the orders of his superior, though he wished that Katase would follow his advice. He only hoped at one point that the general would reconsider his stance on the matter.

"Now then, in regards to our next mission: an Indian scientist by the name of Rakshata Chawla has developed a set of sakuradite rods that is being sold on the black market. It would be in our interest if we obtained them in our war against Britannia," the general said.

"How do we intend to do that, sir? Most of the monetary assets that we had were used in securing your escape," Chiba asked.

"We have slush accounts that the Britannians haven't discovered yet," Katase explained. "Our agents overseas have taken great care in keeping these monies out of sight so that the imperialists can't get their hands on them."

"Where are the rods being sold?" Tohdoh inquired.

"Hong Kong. You and the Holy Swords will be traveling over there to obtain these rods with the hidden money."

"Of course, sir. Anything we should take note of along the way, General?" the lieutenant colonel asked further.

"While we have no hostilities with the Chinese, it does not mean that they'll welcome us with open arms. Tread carefully when you do arrive into the city. Dismissed."

When the brief finished, four of the Holy Sword officers exited out of the room, just as Tohdoh was about to leave, the general stopped him in his tracks. Both men faced each other, both of their minds focused. Katase studied his subordinate, the latter keeping the same straight face that he wore earlier. The general didn't need much to know that Tohdoh did not agree with his decision in not allying with the Black Knights.

"Kyoshiro, you are truly a patriot to your country. And you know that I trust you implicitly, but what you suggested earlier is too risky."

"Surely you must reconsider in spite of the risks. These are desperate times that we live in, General. We cannot afford to play safe, especially with the imperialists watching every corner of the globe."

"I know. Which is part of the reason why we must pursue the opportunity of purchasing the rods and adapting them for our use. While we're doing that, we must also find a safe haven in which we can re-organize ourselves so that we can take back our home," the general explained. "But I will reconsider your advice."

"Thank you, sir," Tohdoh said, exchanging a bow with his superior before he left.

"Be careful."

"I will, General."

With that said, the lieutenant colonel left promptly. He thought up a list of tasks that needed to be done, and would have his own subordinates arrange transportation over to their destination. Despite the mention of no hostilities between the Japanese and the Chinese, he wondered just exactly what kind of surprises he and his team would face once they arrive at Hong Kong.  
_ _ _

**Geass Directorate  
Chinese Federation**

V.V. Sauntered across the hall with two masked priests and examined the children that hovered within the liquid-filled canisters that kept them in suspended animation. They were kept that way to allow their powers to develop accordingly, since they are at a young age where the nerve centers of their brain haven't fully adjusted to their personal Geass.

One Geass user tested her power on an unlucky man who just happened to be one of the more menial workers on the bottom of the food chain in the Geass Directorate. His face contorted into one of pain, the child's power obviously affecting his mind in drastic fashion.

Soon after the man lay dead at her feet. The girl's eye glowed bright pink with the bird sigil, as the corpse was dragged by two security guards to be promptly disposed of. V.V. Nodded as a sign of approval to the young lass, and moved onward to greet two of the organization's finest assassins inside the main lobby. Their quality of their training and skill sets made them something to be admired and proud of.

In a sense, both of them were lost children that happened to gain the mysterious power from different individuals that possessed the Code. Rolo possessed the ability to suspend a person's perception of time, while Mao's ability allowed him to invade the minds of others and know what they think. After being abandoned by C.C., V.V. took the Chinese man under his sway and trained him to harness his power in a more effective manner, allowing him to read the minds of everyone without losing his concentration.

Rolo chewed on a piece of bubblegum while he waited what their benefactor had to. Mao smiled while his eyes glowed with the eerie power of Geass behind his visor. Despite being able to read minds, the Chinese man could not read what V.V. was thinking, due to the fact that the latter is a giver of Geass.

"We're here as you requested, my lord," Rolo said, breaking the silence.

"Good to know that you both are here," V.V. said. The immortal's hair trailed behind him as he stood with his hands clasped behind his hands. The supposedly 'old' man smiled as he traced his steps and faced his two hirelings.

"I have an assignment that you might be interested in."

"Oh?" Mao intoned, his curiosity evident. "Who's the target?"

"Zero. He is the wielder of Geass like you two," V.V. Explained.

"The same Zero that leads the Black Knights?" Rolo asked.

"Yes. He poses a threat to the entire nation. If he gains support from the Chinese Federation and the EU, we may very well be facing a two-front war. The emperor has tasked us to neutralize him by any means necessary. Of course, it'll be done in quiet fashion."

"Oh trust me, he's no match for the two of us," Mao exclaimed with arrogant confidence.

"Do not be quick to underestimate him. His power is growing and his support from the Japanese population is rising slowly. Handle him with care," V.V. warned.

"That I'll most certainly do," the Chinese Geass user mused. After training in the martial arts for many years, he relished at the thought of facing off against the mighty Zero and test the mysterious vigilante's resolve. It was a chance to show his potential victims would know the true meaning of fear.

**End of Chapter 26**

* * *

****

Author's Notes:

I wasn't sure how adding in Mao and Rolo would pan out since there's a large range of characters already in the mix. I might consider creating supplementary material on the whole story since it's greatly expanding. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Props to SC for his inputs.


	33. Chapter 27 Sneaking About

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence, language and partial nudity.**

**Prowl's forces in the Mediterranean ready themselves for the upcoming campaign against Decepticon forces in North Africa, while Third Echelon simultaneously conduct a covert operation to find the location of Lelouch Lamperouge.**

* * *

**Chapter 27 – Sneaking About **

**EU North African Border  
Mediterranean Sea**

Waves raged over the large section of water that separated the European and African continents. Beneath the ocean were a small contingent of seven dropships containing Autobot armored divisions and the Wreckers commando unit. They were positioned for a preemptive deployment into Morocco, where they would travel undetected as a disguised European unit towards a German outpost situated thirty miles away from the coast. For the time being they waited upon the Americans that were due to arrive within the next few megacycles via shuttlecraft.

Inside the main dropship, Prowl and Roadbuster were going over plans in which to 'obtain' the local European Knightmares without their knowledge. Since his expertise lay primarily in the use of available assets, he would need to do some creative thinking. When he commanded the expedition back in Tokyo, he relied on the advice and knowledge of Spike and Jazz, since they were the two closest subject matter experts when it came to unconventional tactics. Judging from what he'd heard, the agent that was due to arrive with his team of Third Echelon agents would compensate that gap in capability despite the absence of his two comrades. And with the current political tension between the EU and the Britannians, Prowl welcomed all the assistance that he could get; his forces were going to be very busy.

"Sir, this is Topspin. We just received word that the Third Echelon team that will be joining us should be arriving within the next few megacycles."

"Excellent. Once they arrive, have Agent Gillspie meet us on the command deck," the deputy commander instructed.

"Understood, Topspin out."

When the line terminated, Prowl went back to studying the movements of the local units stationed in proximity to the coast and closer towards the mainland of the African continent. Roadbuster's visor gleamed in the light that radiated from the display, and showed that he was being just as studious as his commanding officer. Every detail they pored over had to be handled differently. While the operation unto itself is one of stealth, they did not want to inadvertently push the Europeans into a shooting war against their Britannian neighbors.

"So, what's the game plan?" Roadbuster asked.

Prowl pointed to a location that was marked with a red X, indicating a hostile zone where the Britannian and European forces were in proximity to each other. Yellow arrows indicated areas where German and French forces, with the imperialists operating in red.

"Over the past few solar cycles, the fleet's been tracking unusual energy readings within a 200 mile radius of the African continent. Our main objective is to investigate the energy signatures. Since the likelihood of the Decepticon forces is high, it falls upon us to destroy them by any means and cease their operations within the region."

"How do we intend to do that without the humans noticing?"

"We will be disguising ourselves as friendly European forces. This will be accomplished by 'acquiring' the Knightmares under EU control. There's a contingent of them sixty miles away from the coast, stored inside of a hangar bay. Upon completion, we will kidnap an EU colonel named Juergen Stohller. The intelligence gathered by our American colleagues say that he is based here, in the southeastern tip of Morocco."

"Why did you pick him?"

"Because he has a personality that is similar to my own," the deputy commander explained.

"What, that you're as stiff as a rock?" Roadbuster offered.

Despite Prowl's demeanor, both of Autobot officers laughed at the joke. Prowl appreciated the touch behind the sub-commander's humor. The laughter soon faded out and both bots went back to the business at hand.

"No, it's because we're like-minded when it comes to handling business. And because of his reputation amongst his fellow officers: he is a very effective commander within the EU army. I believe I can suit myself to assume his role without his men noticing."

"That's good for him, but what if the humans under his command gets suspicious?"

"He controls several Knightmare divisions that regularly patrol the outlying regions, which connects to the western end which the Britannian naval forces currently control. At present, they are dispersed. Wheeljack has developed an artificial intelligence matrix that will provide holographic personnel in the guise of German and French personnel. The Americans will also be given new uniforms so they can pass off as Europeans since they'll be accompanying us to the target area."

Roadbuster thought of the plan, thinking of what the deputy commander's bold plan. Prowl understood the times when to hold back and to take risks. The Wreckers sub-commander judged the strategy as a very bold risk that Prowl was taking, something that was normally left to Jazz since doing extremely dangerous ops fell in the Autobot lieutenant's territory.

"What is the status on Omega Supreme?" Prowl asked.

"Omega Supreme is in orbit, fully armed and ready to go. If the 'Cons even think of trying anything, they'll go running for cover once he shows up."

"Excellent. At least we'll have an ace in the hole if the situation worsens."

Prowl clicked on the panel that magnified the view of North Africa, with arrows indicating the entry point that the Autobot forces will be moving through.

"Our task force will proceed south to the auxiliary EU stronghold and steal the Knightmares stored inside. The Third Echelon agents will probe defenses from the outer perimeter, which will allow us to pick a suitable location to breach and take the local mechs. Since the troop contingent over at that base is minimal, resistance will be light."

"What do we do about the humans once we actually take the base from them?"

"Tie them up and keep them prisoner. Optimus wants to minimize collateral damage."

"Hmph, the way this mission's going down it's easier said than done. The humans on this Earth are just as bad as the ones in our universe."

"Which is why we will discreetly handle them accordingly by the rules of engagement."

"And if the rest of their buddies find out that they're not in control of the Knightmares we stole from them?"

"Then we will use our Gamma and Theta Sentinels as a reserve force in case the Europeans happens to discover us. Hopefully we'll slip in and reach our objective without drawing too much attention."

Gamma and Theta Sentinels served as another complement to the Autobot defense forces. Like the Alpha Sentinel aerospace fighter, they were designed to meet specific needs as part of the Autobot's military expansion and defense program. While the Alphas are air-based, the Gammas and Thetas are both ground-based units. The Gammas are heavily shielded armored tanks retrofitted to combat enemy ground forces with different kinds of munitions, including armor-piercing rounds, electromagnetic shells capable of shutting down enemy troops, and particle beams capable of destroying hostile enemies. At six meters they stood slightly taller than the Britannian Sutherlands.

The Thetas only came up to five meters, with less armor and weaker stopping power than their Gamma cousins. They are light scouts with hover technology that allowed them to traverse difficult terrain, making them the perfect choice as rapid response units. Their portable missile launchers mounted on the rooftops are able to down enemy aircraft and fast moving targets on land.

"Alright, I'll have my team ready the Sentinels in preparation for the op."

"See to it. In the meantime, I will be going over additional details once Agent Gillspie arrives. Within the next five megacycles we will commence with the mission as planned."

Roadbuster offered his superior a nod before stepping out of the map area. Prowl turned his attention back towards the display, his optics pointed towards where the Autobots would take the Germans by surprise. The deputy commander smiled to himself, feeling good that the plans he set in motion was coming along smoothly. He only hoped that once it was put into action that it works as designed without resorting to harm the humans.  
_ _ _

**Downtown  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Dozens of Vehicles crowded the inner city streets, which was typical of nights in Tokyo. This excluded one black van run by American personnel, which was eventually parked next to a garage outside of a coffee shop. Inside the vehicle were four Americans, two who are intelligence analysts studying their laptops positioned on a rack connected to the wall of the vehicle. Calder and Kim looked over the remains of the original hard drive destroyed. It was at that moment that Spike suddenly walked in and caught them by surprise. Everything that the two agents heard about him were true: he did not like waiting.

"What have you got for me?"

"We managed to figure out how the Black Knights managed to discover our location, sir," Kim said. "Apparently, when you stole the hard drive it activated a tracer, which lit up our position like a Christmas tree. That allowed Zero's team to home in back at HQ. The rest well..."

"So that's how he did it," Spike muttered, his head shaking in disbelief. "That bastard's clever, I'll give him that."

All of the personnel present noticed the somber look in the chief liaison's face. He understood it was his fault that he unknowingly drew the Black Knights to their hideout, leading to the deaths of additional American agents. He knew beforehand that the director will want answers out of him, and he knew that his track record of late would draw attention from parties back in Washington.

Spike understood that the only way to make this right was to resume his mission of finding Lelouch Lamperouge. After the battle, he concluded that since the Black Knights were willing to go so far to protect the secrets of one of their contacts, it made it all the more reason to go after him and find out just what exactly the boy knew. And if the Britannian teenager had any information, Spike was going to wring it out of him.

"Then this confirms that Lelouch Lamperouge has some kind of connection with the Black Knights. Is there anything else you managed to find out?"

"We managed to recover a partial scrap of data on him from the backups," Calder added.

"Anything we can use?" the chief liaison asked.

"Apparently he lives at a school called Ashford Academy."

"Ashford Academy... Isn't that the school that all the rich kids here go to?" Faulkner inquired.

"Yeah, Jazz's friends attend there. I spoke with one of them not too long ago," Spike recalled. The conversation he had with Shirley back at the hospital came to mind. He remembered the look in her eyes that she wanted her friend to be innocent from all of the chaos that went on for the past several weeks.

"Sir? Are you alright?" Calder asked with a concerned look.

Spike's mind snapped back to the present. "Oh, sorry. What were we talking about?"

"We were talking about Lelouch Lamperouge's residency, sir. At the academy?" she said to him.

"Right. Okay that's good. Have we got any more details pinned down yet?"

"Well, so far we know that Ruben Ashford, the head of the Ashford Foundation owns the campus. All the money that was originally put into Knightmare Frame RND by his company has been shifted into continuously upgrading the school."

"Then that's where we'll start," the SEAL commander declared. "Faulkner, you're going."

"What you got in mind, boss?" the NSA operative said.

"We're going to be paying a visit to the school. You got your gear ready?" Spike asked.

"Oh yeah," Faulkner smiled, as he fished out a tactical suit that standard Splinter Cell issue from his duffel bag. Inside was a variety of pouches that stored different pieces of equipment, including a lockpick kit, a snake cam, a laser mic, and a combat knife. The agent trained it as a good habit to bring the blade along with him just in case.

"Good. Load up and get ready to head out. You'll be deployed as soon as we arrive on site. Agent Mitchell, floor it."

The NSA technician at the head of the driver's seat adjusted his cap and coveralls before he sped up to 45 mph towards the target destination. Spike and Faulkner worked on getting some additional equipment readied prior to the latter's deployment at the academy. There was no better time to do a late evening stroll at a school where many of its occupants were sleeping.  
_ _ _

**Student Council Clubhouse  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement **

Lelouch was going over the reports of the latest activity behind Britannian forces. Just a few days ago intelligence came in his direction from the inner circle of Kyoto that reinforcements dispatched from the mainland. He suspected that his half-brother Schneizel was responsible, since he had a fondness for planning large-scale campaigns.

C.C. gingerly snuck her way behind him and leaned closer to his face to the point of scaring him out of his wits. Her hair was damp, and he could smell the fresh scent coming from the strands that hung over her shoulders and draped her back. Probably from using his shower.

"What the -?"

"You're very easy to sneak up on. An opportune moment for assassins to kill unsuspecting prey," the immortal mused.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," the ex-prince growled, not interested in whatever sage counsel the witch had to offer him.

"Are you still celebrating over the victory over your supposed rivals? The ones that you fought back at the casino?"

"That has already passed. Considering whatever operation our unknown friends ran inside that building, no longer poses a threat to me," Lelouch said with an assured tone.

"Were they Britannian?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we cleared an obstacle, and now I can continue my fight against my father unopposed. However, there is the issue of the two parties that still remain at large," the ex-prince said.

"What are do you intend to do about them?"

"There are sakuradite rods being sold on the black market. The same kind that my forces utilized back at the Narita Mountains."

"You intend to purchase them?"

"Via a contact overseas. I have already dispatched Ohgi and Inoue to conduct the transaction and secure the rods in Hong Kong where the auction will occur. I took the liberty of stationing a few troops in advance prior to their arrival so that things go smoothly."

Their conversation cut short when Lelouch's maid called from downstairs.

"Master Lelouch, Ms. Ashford is here to see you!" Sayoko informed.

"Give me one moment, I'll be right down!" he bellowed back.

Lelouch rushed out of the door of his room and strode as quickly as he could down the stairs to the front door. He grabbed the knob and opened it, the student council president in plain view. She donned her casual attire, still clearly wide awake. Though instead of her usual playful mannerism she wore an expression of worry on her face. The ex-prince grew curious as to why she would come to see him at a time that went far into the evening hours.

"You're up awfully late," he said Milly.

"As are you," she countered with a sly grin. "There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

"What about?" he asked.

"Do you remember the Tokyo Fair?"

"How could I not?" the ex-prince chuckled softly.

"I think it would be in your interest if you actually did."

"Can you just get to the point, please?"

"It's about Shirley."

"What about her?"

"She still isn't herself. I mean, I know she attends the meetings again, but... it's like her mind is elsewhere. I tried to convince her to come with us to the fair this Thursday but she didn't want to go."

"But why me?" he questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? She's smitten with you, Lelouch. Please, go talk to her."

The ex-prince sighed at the president's request. It was one thing to fight battles as a leader of an ominous organization, yet it's another to fall at the whims of a woman asking for his help. He figured he might as well and try to convince Shirley to come along with the rest of the student council. It was a break that they all could use after doing their duties.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her."

Milly hugged the young man as a gesture of her thanks and giggled wholeheartedly. "I knew I could count on you!"

Lelouch's mind clung onto doubts about her statement. He bid the blond lass farewell before he went back upstairs to change and head to Shirley's dorm. Despite his reservations about the quest of asking his mentally scarred friend being successful, all he could do was try. If the outcome turned out to be the opposite, his efforts would have been for naught.

**Outer Courtyard  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

An hour after their arrival three blocks away from the school, the Third Echelon operatives positioned themselves from the main arched gate that led to the outer gate.

Amidst the darkness of the skies, Faulker strode through unnoticed by the security detail that roamed the campus. He carried just a Five-Seven and a P190, the same submachine gun which the Third Echelon personnel used during the fight at the convention center hotel. Though instead of live rounds, they carried tranquilizer darts and sticky shockers respectively. Inside his torso pouches contained sticky cams. The perfect spy tool, they gave the American agents a peek into wherever the device was positioned.

Faulkner glanced at the wall that connected to the fenceline of the campus, jumped up and while latching and scaling over the perimeter. He crouched upon landing and moved swiftly across the grass, measuring his steps carefully so as not to draw attention. He checked his digital watch, which read 2305 hours.

"Agent Faulkner, comms check," Spike called out through the Splinter Cell's earpiece.

"Faulkner here, hearing you loud and clear."

"Okay, listen carefully. This mission's recon only. I don't want any dead bodies lying around. Hence, non-lethal force only."

"Understood, sir," the NSA agent replied. He glanced around the grounds and took in the sights of the lush gardens with a sense of awe.

"Hmm, nice place."

"It's good to know that you're admiring the scenery, Mr. Faulkner. Can you keep yourself focused, please?" Spike radioed to the senior agent.

"Sorry about that, sir."

"It's alright. Satellite's providing a good view overhead, which gives us line of sight within the campus."

"So what's the objective?" Faulkner inquired.

"Since we know that Ashford Academy is Lelouch Lamperouge's residence, we still need to find out which exact building he is currently living at. Your first stopping point is the security office. Keep in mind there's a ton of guards roving on the campus grounds, so don't get cocky."

"I wouldn't worry too much about them, boss," the agent answered confidently. His tone indicated a slight hint of arrogance in his own capabilities as an operative. The Splinter Cell rolled forth and ducked out of sight of a patrolling Britannian security guard. Switching from night vision to thermal imaging, he spotted bright red lines sticking out from certain sections of the school, several near the structures where the students attended and more situated near the gardens.

"Huh, laser grids. For a school, this place seems a little tight in the security department."

"Probably because Ashford's granddaughter lives there," Spike reasoned.

"I'll bet," Faulkner said before he moved on to explore the campus unnoticed towards his destination.

Lelouch walked through the hallways, celebrating his triumphant victory against Harker/Ferguson. After they nearly discovering his identity. He lied to his own inner circle about the real reason behind the mission. Whether or not they would discover his deception remained to be seen. For the moment, the Shinjuku rebels still confided in him as their leader. And he wanted to keep it that way.

At the advice of Milly he opted to go visit Shirley and check on her. He wanted to find out just what exactly she knew about his affiliation of the Black Knights and who she learned it from. He thought about asking her directly.

_No, that would make her suspicious of me_.

Hesitant, he mustered all the confidence he could in order to face her. The guilt of being responsible for the death of her father still clung to him like a parasite. Lelouch stood in front of her room door and knocked.  
_ _ _

Inside her room, Shirley doused herself in the shower. The warmth of the water splashing against her skin provided a sense of comfort, but did not entirely alleviate the emotions that welled within her. Confusion and fear hung unto her conscious, and she found it hard to let go, especially in the light of recent events. After being shut in for only a couple of days, she went back to class trying to be herself.

Often in class she was distracted, as she tried to shake off the disturbing information about Lelouch possibly being a member of the Black Knights. The secretive nature of the young man made her wonder if he was hiding anything. And if he was, how would she be able to handle it?

She was hesitant to confront him about it. And if he knew what she knew, would he kill her?

_No, Lulu would never do such a thing,_ she thought to herself as the water covered her. She leaned against the shower wall with her hair hung down, her mind distraught at the severity of the accusation against Lelouch of being part of a terrorist group wanted by the imperial government. Her head snapped back up as she heard knocks coming from the distance.

She stepped out of the shower and dried herself with a towel before she wrapped it around her body and got into her slippers. Within seconds she dashed towards the door. Shirley opened it slowly and widened her eyes at the presence of Lelouch standing at her doorstep.

"Hi, Shirley, may I come in?"

"Of course, just wait one moment while I get changed."

Shirley rushed back towards the bathroom and donned her robe before she went back and let Lelouch in. Although typically they were in violation of school, Shirley trusted him enough to not do anything drastic. Lelouch searched for a place in which to sit, the orange-haired girl gesturing him to seat himself at her desk. The young man took notice of her classmate missing, probably doing group study with her friends. After fidgeting with his fingers momentarily he began questioning her with a look of genuine concern for a friend.

"How have you been holding up?"

"I'm fine," Shirley said.

Lelouch offered her a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"

The young boy was gauging her state of mind. She couldn't hide her feelings as well as he could, and Lelouch knew just by instinct that something was wrong. Should she tell him the truth? She wanted to ask him what's been boggling her mind for the past several days, and there was no better chance since he was here by himself.

"Lulu, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..."

"What is it?"

"Are you... involved with the Black Knights?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. It was a silly question. I'm sorry that I asked."

"No, please tell me."

"Lulu, I know it seems strange, and that you and the others have been wondering that I've been acting a little funny. There's a woman from the government who's been asking about you. She says that you might be working with Zero's organization."

"I would never resort to such a thing," Lelouch told her flatly. Shirley studied his eyes momentarily, and noticed that he moved his hands towards hers. Her cheeks turned crimson red at the softness of his touch.

"Shirley, we've been friends for a while. I may not be talkative in regards to personal affairs, but I would never affiliate myself with terrorists."

The orange-haired girl smiled at his declaration.

"Milly's worried about you. Frankly, so am I. Which leads me to my next question: would you be interested in joining us at the Tokyo Fair?"

Shirley's cheeks grew even redder, wondering if he was asking her out. Of course, she didn't want to treat it that way. The fair was just a social event in which all of the student council could enjoy themselves wholeheartedly. Hesitant at first, she nodded to him. Lelouch smiled and released her hand.

"Good. I'm going back to the house to get some sleep. See you tomorrow?" he asked of her.

"Of course."

After Lelouch closed the door behind him. Shirley smiled contentedly after their conversation. She changed back into her pajamas and went to bed, knowing full well that speaking the truth didn't feel so bad after all.

**Inner Courtyards  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

After a good forty minutes Faulkner swept through several buildings using his thermal vision to check each structure. There was a lot of ground to cover, even with satellite imaging providing intel through his OPSAT. He glanced at the dim glow of the wrist device to make sure of his bearings.

"I'm at the gate. Three guards roving the campus grounds." Faulkner whispered, adjusting his tri-focal monogoggles. He adjusted the instrument seated in front of his left eye as it changed from night vision to thermal, the rainbow-silhouetted figures of the security guards standing out like candle lights.

His body tensed slightly at the sight of a guard coming a little too close for comfort. He was heavyset and carried only a pistol with him. Initially, the man simply walked past Faulkner before he stopped himself and went to check back where the Splinter Cell hid. Faulkner suspected that the man knew something seemed out of place and walked towards him.

"Taking a guard down."

"Understood. Remember, non-lethal force only."

"Copy that."

Faulker swept the man's leg with a roundhouse kick before punching him unconscious. The impact of the gauntlet would render the man comatose for a good few hours. Once the fellow recovered, he was going to be in for a nasty headache.

"Guard neutralized, proceeding to the security room."

Upon reaching where he needed to go, eying the doorknob that led to the security room. Faulkner knelt down in front of it and fished out his lockpick kit. He fidgeted with the mechanisms that prevented access to the room before he heard a click and nudged the door slowly. The dimness of the light from the monitors made it easier for Faulkner to slip inside the room unnoticed. He quietly closed the door behind him and moved quietly towards the guard that sat in front of the monitors.

Hearing the snore of the large fellow, Faulkner crept behind the security guard and locked the man's neck in a sleeper hold.

"I'm inside the security room. Guard's been neutralized."

"Do you have access to the feeds?"

"Yeah. Give me one moment, I'm going to connect the OPSAT so that the video'll stream to the van."

Faulkner took a moment before he pulled out a set of wirings from his wrist module and interfaced it with the computer that controlled the campus' security cameras.

"Alright, I'm set over here. How's the feed?"

"Good. We can see what the cameras are seeing," Kim answered.

"Roger, can you get a fix the kid's location from here?" the Splinter Cell asked.

"I'm drawing information based on recordings and matching it with our search queries inside the van. Based on the schematics of the campus, Lelouch's current residence is inside the student council clubhouse, about a hundred meters from your current position. The living spaces is somewhere on the second floor," Calder radioed back.

"Copy that, I'm heading out now," Faulkner whispered before he tied the body of the unconscious man and laid him against the corner of the room. He quickly made his exit and began his search once again. After about twenty minutes evading the school's security, Faulkner founded what he was looking for and glanced at the brick-laden facility, scaling his way on the walls and shimmying around.

Faulkner stopped himself when he saw a bedroom which he suspected belonged to the boy. He studied Lelouch's room from the outside, noticing the fine décor, and saw that nobody was inside. Seconds later, a young woman in a white straitjacket sauntered inside. He observed what he believed to be a pizza box, with a strange-looking character marking its cover.

The American thought to himself that she looked pretty. But the beauty was overtaken by a strange sensation that tingled his skin. He sensed something eerily clinging through the air. It was affecting his mind in some way that made him feel uneasy. He clung hard onto the windowsill and shook his head to shake the feeling off.

Feeling better, Faulkner fished out a sticky cam laced with adhesive and placed it on a corner of the wall. While holding onto the ledge, the American operative adjusted the camera to an angle in which his fellow agents could see what was going on inside of the structure.  
_ _ _

Spike sat and grew anxious at the waiting. He checked his watch and noticed that Faulkner kept silent for at least a good fifteen minutes. The lieutenant commander understood the need to be patient, since the operation itself needed to be handled carefully. Feeling curious, Spike tapped into the comm line and called out to the Splinter Cell agent to check on his progress.

"Faulkner, this is Witwicky. What's happening out there?"

"I just set up a sticky cam outside. There's a woman inside the boy's room. Green hair, medium height, light complexion. And she's eating... pizza."

"Wait, say that again. You said you see a green-haired woman?" Spike asked.

"Affirmative. Sending live feed now."

Spike narrowed his gaze. He tried to make out the video and it buzzed in and out. He turned to Kim and leaned his weight on the analyst's chair.

"Can you increase the quality of the signal?"

"Hang on, fixing the satellite reception."

Seconds afterwards the buzz cleared out and there she was. Spike arched his eyebrow as he took in the woman munching down on the pizza slice with glee and holding onto some odd-looking doll that bore a cap on its heading. What irked him was that Lelouch Lamperouge was still nowhere in sight.

"Hmm, it's definitely her. I remember seeing her from Reinfield's records. Her name's Coraline, though I believe it to be an alias."

"Say what, sir?"

"She was part of something real bad. What the hell is she doing there, anyway?"

"Beats me. She's just enjoying herself munching down on junk food." the Splinter Cell operative answered honestly. "And the boy still isn't here."  
_ _ _

"Alright then, we got the place bugged for now. Good work, Faulkner. Now get out of the academy while you still can. We'll be waiting to extract you outside of the main gate during your getaway."

"Copy that, getting out now," Faulkner whispered. He scaled down the wall and swiftly dashed from one bush to another, hiding out of sight. The agent heard footsteps just fifty feet away and noticed four buff-looking security guards carrying submachine guns, all of them looking alert.

"Attention, academy occupants: there is an intruder on campus. This is not a drill. Intruder inside the premises. All students, please remain in your dorms until the individual has been apprehended."

"Nuts, looks like I've been found out," Faulkner whispered.

"You're about 300 yards away from the nearest gate."

"What about the main one?"

"Sealed, there's guards covering the front gate. You'll need to find an alternate route out."

"Copy that."

Faulkner kept his eyes peeled for any roving guards. One of them had a German Shepherd walking alongside him. Despite the relatively easy nature of the mission, he couldn't afford getting caught. If he did, it carried with it serious consequences. The dog's ears perked up suddenly and caught him in its sights, growling as it bore its teeth. Soon after it chased after the NSA agent with the guard in hot pursuit.

As soon as the operative heard the canine's barking, he ran with all the energy he could muster. The dog did the same, its lithe body charging forth after him like a missile. Fortunately for Faulkner, it caught on too late as he founded his way to freedom. He scaled over the east wall and leaped over, landing onto the sidewalk with both feet, using his arms to ease him back up. He spotted the black van carrying Spike and his team on board, the SEAL opening the door upon their prompt arrival.

"Over here! Come on!" the lieutenant commander shouted out to him. Faulkner ran as fast as he ever did towards the van and dove right inside. The chief liaison closed the door and told the driver to step on the gas and make a run for it. By the time the campus security caught up to their position, the Americans already made their getaway.

"Phew. Close one."

Spike nodded. "It was."

Faulkner unmasked himself and took in the fresh air before he turned and asked the lieutenant commander a question that hung on his conscious. "Tell me something, boss: is there something about the girl that's got you all strung up?"

"Yeah. As far as I know she was involved in research that the Britannians have been conducting in secret for several years."

"What kind of research, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The kind that makes the presence of the very people she touches a threat to _every_ human. That includes you and me."

"That dangerous, huh?"

"Yeah, it is. When we regroup with the others I'm going to have a little talk with Dr. Reinfield. He's got some more explaining to do."

**End of Chapter 27**

* * *

****

Author's Notes:

Not much to say. Sorry for the long wait, it's been a busy week for me in school at good ol' San Diego.

The spy thing is heavily influenced by me playing Splinter Cell Conviction and watching too much 24 lol.

Props to SC and thanks to everyone who's reading this.


	34. Chapter 28 Unsuspecting

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**Chip, Nightbeat, and Marissa go over final preparations before the sale of sakuradite rods on the black market. **

**Back in Area 11, Mao and Rolo discuss the preliminaries of their plan to draw Zero out in the open. Arkeville on the other hand has plans of his own.**

* * *

****

Chapter 28 – Unsuspecting

Seishun Apartments  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation  
  
Chip compiled small stacks of data and compared notes accumulated over the past several days. Nightbeat (in his holoavatar form) studied with him over the preliminaries of securing a meeting with Rakshata Chawla, the scientist who originally developed several of the technologies utilized by Zero's faction. They made some leeway in regards to her profile: she's renowned through much of the world for many of the theories that helped the world's superpowers prosper. They discovered that she disappeared a few years ago into the background, and was never seen or heard from again. That was, until she surfaced just recently and supplied aid to the Black Knights with her scientific knowledge and Knightmares engineered by her genius (with the assistance of the Kyoto House).

Prior to their establishment, they made a deal with the landlord that they would be sticking around for only a few days tops, paying him at least five thousand pounds to keep quiet and leave them alone so they could tend to business. Nightbeat figured that the minimal distraction would give the three allied operatives more than enough leeway to plan how they're going to conduct the buyout, assuming if all went well.

Marissa applied oil and lubricants while conducting maintenance on her weapons. A boxful of 9mm shells blanketed the table, several which are placed on the base with the bullet pointing upwards into the ceiling. An assortment of other guns, such as the MP5k and the SR-2M. Since she handled weapons logistics on more than a regular basis, it gave her enough time to be intimately familiar with the armaments she would deliver to the Third Echelon operatives. She favored lightweight weaponry compared to the supposedly heavier weapons that agents such as the Splinter Cells had at their disposal.

After she finished finalizing her she moved on to the briefcase that contained the money to purchase the sakuradite rods. Nightbeat stood alongside Chip as the latter cycled through his laptop's taskings and cleared them in rapid succession. Maps of the meeting site were displayed all over the screens. The analyst managed to hack his way into satellites, providing continuous wide coverage of the HK metropolitan area.

Nightbeat nodded as Chip moved through the different screens, analyzing the routes of escape in case things went south. They were taking a bold risk, but it was the most reasonable course of action that they could take and get out alive. The chief inspector also had a few surprises in store to keep them safe in the event that they're discovered as not being who they say they are.

"Well, I think this'll settle this for now," Marissa said as she finished her cleaning and moved on to check the briefcase that contained the money for the buyout.

"Right. Remember the NOC list that you recovered back at the convention center hotel?" Chip questioned to the field runner.

"Yes. What about it?" Marissa inquired.

"I managed to decipher the list that's been marked with only the code names of moles that are working with Arkeville and the Decepticons. The list was embedded with a program that prevented me from cracking it before I managed to decrypt the intel. There's a lot of high-level folks within the Britannian government that's on this list..."

"Such as?"

"Let's see... There's a Lord Shaun Hafferty, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lt. Colonel Benjamin Lorr, chief of staff of the 57th Imperial Armor Brigade. Sir Hendrik Morton, head of the Intelligence Division. They're all situated throughout different sections of the local government, and all of them work for Princess Cornelia. The program's still working on compiling the rest of the list, but it's quite a handful."

"We'll sift through the list when we got back home. Okay, we got the meeting all set," Nightbeat concluded. "Now we just need to buy the rods to put them out of play."

"Agreed. Hopefully the money that we have on hand'll take care of the rods, assuming it's a small amount," Marissa said. She noticed Chip looking at her count the amount of paper money that's been arranged to handle the bidding. Guards were expected to be stationed around Chawla to protect the merchandise and ensure that business went on as usual. The only way that the team could get inside and allay their hosts' suspicions would be if she went at it alone. Nightbeat took risks, but never so far as to send Marissa by herself. It wasn't so much that she wasn't capable of handling herself, but the fact that there was another buyer on the market for a highly expensive of unique item that could be used as a weapon seemed far too coincidental.

"You sure we have enough?" Chip asked.

"I've been checking the cash for a while now, Chip. We're going to need every pound that we can scrape up. Since we don't know how many of the rods are on sale, chances are there's going to be a sizable amount that'll prevent us from taking them all. Or, they charge a large sum that'll make a dent and clean us out of what we have here," Marissa said.

"It'll have to do. How's Commander Witwicky holding up?" Nightbeat asked.

"In a word: pissed. The Black Knights managed to take down the HQ. Spike's looking to return the favor, and when he's returning this kind of favor, you know it isn't a good sign," Chip explained.

Nightbeat nodded in understanding. He recalled the interrogation of Dr. Reinfield back in Tokyo. Considering the human officer's training, there was no length the man wouldn't travel to achieve his objectives. The chief inspector made it a point to never feel a urge for revenge against the people that deserved, no matter how tempting it seemed.

"He's been through worse," Nightbeat said.

Chip knew Spike for a long time ever since high school. Since he understood the chief liaison to have a kinship with the personnel that he works with. The lieutenant commander had a reputation of not only being an exemplar of professionalism, but also treated like family. It was something that was formed during his time with his fellow comrades in SEAL Team 6. Considering their reputation, they operated as a tight unit.

When the liaison was recruited into the CIA, he operated in the same way. And he still remained consistent in his character. Ever since they arrived in Area 11, he noticed that his friend gradually changed. He appeared much darker than before. The analyst admitted to himself one time that being on this Earth felt like an episode of Star Trek where they were in a mirror universe: even though they weren't. He would need to talk with the lieutenant commander as soon as they completed their mission.

"Chip, are you alright?" the chief inspector asked.

"I'm fine."

"The way that you're looking is telling me something very different, my friend," the Cybertronian detective smiled. "Let's keep ourselves focused on the task on hand. We still got some work ahead of us before we're in the clear."

Both Marissa and Chip nodded, and that was exactly what they did before they finished whatever business they clocked out and rested in their respective beds. They had a long road ahead of them. As for Nightbeat, he opted to continue finalizing plans to on bid session before he powered his chassis down to recharge for the evening.  
_ _ _

**Medical Bay  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_****

Jazz shook his head momentarily as he awakened and noticed that he was encased behind a glass cover, the flooring's color a golden yellow metal. He then realized that his body was in cryogenic regeneration, and that the recovery phase his body was put into completed. He mentally commanded the CR chamber to release him, its mechanical scalpels retracting themselves into their hidden compartments inside.

The special ops lieutenant walked out to another room inside of the bay and saw the twins laying comatose on metal beds. He observed that they were still recovering from the fight that they had with the Black Knights. As he moved he glanced his surroundings, realizing that he was on the Autobot flagship.

Ratchet stepped right next to the lieutenant and crossed his arms as both mechanoids observed the two brothers within the isolated space.

"I see you're online," the CMO smiled.

"How long have I been out?"

"A couple of solar cycles. You should be in the CR chamber."

"I have more important things to do, doc."

"Don't we all?" Ratchet said to his friend.

Jazz worked his memory banks further, remembering that the twins were injured during the fight. They were tough bots, but it didn't make them any tougher by fighting against the odds they were facing against back in Tokyo. He watched in silence as groups of mechanical arms shifted and adjusted new armor plates to replace the ones damaged during the fight.

Their bodies would be the same as before, with a polish that made them feel brand new. But once they came online again, they would be cranky. The twins' former disposition as thugs trudging along the slums of Cybertron didn't help matters much either, considering that they handled a lot of tough bots prior to their joining the Autobot services. The next confrontation with the Black Knights would show the brothers' true colors when it came down to melee combat.

"How are the twins holding up, Ratchet?"

"They'll recover. But once they get up, they're going to be happy."

"Why do you ask?"

"It's the twins we're talking about here, Jazz. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are not the kind of bots that takes losing very lightly," Ratchet reminded him.

"You're right. Where's Spike?"

"Getting ready for a mission to capture Lelouch Lamperouge."

The special ops lieutenant's head perked up suddenly. "What? When did this happen?"

"They just finished conducting reconnaissance yesterday."

"I've got to stop him," Jazz said as he turned.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want Spike to do what he intends to do. It ain't right," he answered.

The CMO remained expressionless and held his colleague by the arm. "I sympathize with you Jazz, I truly do. But Prime's leaving this one up to Spike, as harsh as the man's methods may seem. The Americans have got this one for now, so we're going to leave the situation to them for the time being. Ironhide's going to be heading down there with a team as Prime's envoy to make sure things don't go out of hand.

"Ironhide doesn't know Spike as well as I do!" the special ops lieutenant protested.

"You'll have to trust in him," Ratchet told flatly.

_Somehow I don't find that very reassuring_...

**Storage Warehouse  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Inside one of the more renowned facilities contained narcotic Refrain. The Japanese under imperial rule have been using the drug since its introduction to the populace. Anyone who had the money would buy it in a heartbeat, seeing as they had little alternative but to submit to the fate handed down upon them.

Amongst the drugs were a number of stolen artifacts. Mao and Rolo made prior arrangements for their entrance into the colony without drawing any notice from the authorities. Despite the fact that they operated under the sanction and blessing of the imperial government, V.V. made it explicitly clear to them to keep their mission under the radar. Hence, Cornelia would never know they existed.

Rolo, who donned coveralls and was sweating from the city heat, worked on making adjustments to the Vincent, a Knightmare that carried over characteristics of the Lancelot. It was equipped with a Blaze Luminous Shield and a particle rifle adapted from the same technology of its predecessor. Though Mao was no Knightmare pilot, his insanity combined with his intellect made him more than enough of a formidable opponent that would make Zero cringe. He was confident that he would have no problem taking the wanted man down, with the help of Rolo and a few hired hands to do the job.

"What are you doing now, Mao?"

"Going over the local papers," the Chinese man replied. "And figuring out a way to get Zero."

"How do we intend to get our target?"

Mao pondered his accomplice's question, but remained focused on recent news articles about critics talking about Zero. One praised the vigilante for standing up against the criminal elements that plagued the city. The Chinese Geass user judged Zero as something much more than just a local hero (and a bane to the colonial government). He would have to wait until he met the vigilante in person in order to see for himself whether the man truly fought for justice, or just another charlatan in a costume. Either way, Mao needed a plan to get the man out in the open.

"There is one way we'll draw him out. There are many rich Britannian families in the area. If we take someone hostage from one of the families I'm sure they'll pay handsomely for their release."

"Kidnapping?" Rolo said, giving a perplexed look.

"Yes. It's the perfect bait. I just want the satisfaction of squaring off against the famous Zero. If he's as good as the people in the army say, then it'll be the greatest challenge that I have ever faced."

"Many in the imperial army fear him," Rolo noted.

"He's just a man like any of us, it's just a matter of how we can get his attention. Surely he can't resist the urge of rescuing someone important in the colony."

"Who?"

Mao just just simply smiled. He had someone in mind, someone specific that would be more than good enough to act as bait to lure Zero to them. All he needed was the means and the opportunity to set the trap that would put the vigilante in his grasp.  
_ _ _

**Lukas International Main Lab  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Several scientists led by Thomas Arkeville were working on evaluating upgrades for the Swarmers to make them even more deadly. They had one Knightmare 'requisitioned' from the Britannian imperial forces to test out the sturdiness and aptitude in the monster's ability to withstand damage and still continue fighting as designed.

Arkeville watched the Swarmer behind a glass window, the creature bound in chains within an isolated chamber. The scientists had the Sutherland controlled remotely via a computer terminal that had a microwave signal connected the Knightmare in the cockpit compartment where the pilot's controls normally were.

"Is the test subject ready?" Arkeville asked.

"All set," replied one of the scientists.

"Good. Release the creature and begin test firing," the ex-cybernetics chief instructed.

The head researcher nodded and took Arkeville's declaration as a blessing to go ahead with the experiment. "Now commencing test fire."

As the creature was freed, its blades fully drawn. The remote-controlled Sutherland fired several rounds that pierced through the Swarmer's armor. Its lower torso slowly shattered as the Knightmare's rifle did its work on it. Although its innards were exposed, the regeneration process began as the dismembered creature slowly reassembled itself into its original composition.

_Magnificent. These upgrades came up better than anticipated. Looks like my breakthroughs really paid off, _Arkeville smiled with sinister delight as the testing continued.

While the testing continued, the mercenary agent Vernes walked in quietly into the room as he approached Arkeville. The henchman considered it wise to never incur the wrath of the former CIA chief if he was in a bad mood. Considering the present circumstances of the covert conflict with the Autobot/American alliance, a little

"What is it, Vernes? I'm in the middle of something," Arkeville grumbled. He never liked to be interrupted when he was working with company scientists in a critical stage of pushing the envelope of the lethality of their products. While the original Swarmers were primarily of Decepticon design, the newer variants contain a combination of newly constructed polymers that classified it as something else entirely, the result of years of secret research that slowly became reality.

"The Black Knights have managed to cripple the NSA."

"They'll get back on their feet soon enough," Arkeville stated. "Spike Witwicky is a very stubborn man. He would rise out of the deepest depths of the earth just to finish what he started."

"And if they find us, sir?"

"It will be of no consequence. Since Zero managed to cripple them it increases our chances of continuing our business as usual. We will take advantage of the situation as it continues to develop."

"Of course, boss," Vernes nodded.

"How many of the men do you have ready?"

"Most of the teams are ready once you give the go order," the mercenary leader answered.

"Good. Make sure they're well armed when it happens. I want to take our 'partners' by surprise."

Before the two men could converse any further, a red holographic avatar materialized right before their eyes. The malevolent faceplate of Megatron remained still in its expression. The head of the warlord hovered and bore the same menacing aura that he carried with him everywhere. "Mr. Arkeville."

The ex-CIA cybernetics chief narrowed at the newcomer. "Vernes, would mind excusing us for a moment?"

The mercenary leader nodded at his superior's request, leaving the ex-CIA chief by himself with Megatron as the scientists continued working in the background.

"What can I do for you, Lord Megatron?" Arkeville asked.

"I trust the enhancements you've been working on with the Insecticons is going well?"

"It is progressing as planned. The second batch of adrenal and combat enhancements that we've been working on has improved their performance by at fifteen percent."

"How soon can you have them ready for the next phase of our plan?"

"Within the next several days."

Megatron nodded. Arkeville understood that the warlord did not want to rush the invasion too soon since the Decepticons were still in the earlier phases of the infiltration protocol, destabilizing the world powers and pitting them against each other. The former CIA cybernetics chief judged it as brilliant; once the three nations were at their weakest, it would be too late to stop Megatron's forces when they realized they were being pitted against each other.

"See to it that our plans remain on schedule."

"Of course. Anything else?"

Megatron's expression changed into that of a menacing giant. Arkeville stared back into them and recognized the suspicious look behind them, regardless of the fact that the warlord was an alien robot.

"Do not think you can usurp my position, human. The only reason you are still alive is because of your usefulness to our cause. You will remain so, so long as you do as you are told. If I suspect the slightest hint of treachery, you die."

Their conversation came to an abrupt end. In his contemplative state of mind, a surge of anger welled up as Arkeville tightened his fists. Megatron would rue the day he treated the man like a slave. All he needed to do was wait for the right opportunity to present itself.  
_ _ _

When the experiment was completed, everyone dispersed into different areas of the facility to analyze the data collected from the tests. Inside another chamber that only he and the Insecticons were aware, Arkeville made way into the space and activated the steel-door via a biometric scanner. Gray mists filled the darkened spaces which he entered, the dim lighting barely illuminating the massive room. If there was anyone else that joined him in the room, they would've thought him to be a madman.

The secret that the chamber held was known only by him and the Insecticons. It held within a being that was just as dangerous as Megatron in many ways, and more. Except that it did not have a body since that was destroyed years ago. Arkeville and the Insecticons conspired in plotting to overthrow the Decepticon leader.

Arkeville stood in front of the console. A large head slung by cables from the ceiling held it in place, though the shadows made it hard to differentiate the details. His mercenaries were responsible for recovering it prior to the Autobot/Decepticon conflict back in the United States. Through many years, he culled his secrets deep from within its memory banks, and applied the knowledge to lethal effect. Good

"Greetings, Mr. Arkeville. I trust all is well?"

"Yes, all is proceeding as planned."

"Does Megatron suspect anything?"

"Considering you've known him longer than I have, he suspects everyone that is part of the inner circle, including me. Though he remains unaware that you and I are one and the same."

"That is good, the knowledge that I have granted you have been put to good use," the shadow entity said.

Arkeville nodded. "Yes, there is merit in it. Considering the technologies which you showed me have worked, the modifications which we gave the Swarmers would tilt the scales in our favor."

The darkened head spoke again: "Like Starscream said many times in the past, Megatron is a fool. His personal ambition threatens our operations here."

"How do we remove him?"

"We will wait until the time is right. And that is when we will strike."

"When?"

"All in due time, Mr. Arkeville. All in due time..."

**End of Chapter 28**

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Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait, been hitting sort of a rough patch with school for my job.

And continued props to everyone for reading this fic.


	35. Interlude: Nightbeat

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**A log entry into the investigation by the Autobot/NSA Hong Kong team.**

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Interlude 

After my team ran an extensive background check on Rakshata Chawla, I've come to the conclusion that her native country, the Indian Republic (a member state of the Chinese Federation) have deliberately been supplying the Britannians' enemies with illegal technologies in order to destabilize control of several countries throughout the Pacific Rim. The Black Knights are one of the chief consumers of the products that's been sold on the black market of late. As we dug in further, me and Chip realized that the Chinese had extensive relations with the Japanese prior to subjugation and the colonization of Area 11. Apparently they were partner nations that worked together several years back, setting up an economic embargo on the Britannian Empire as a response to their invasion of the Pacific Isles.

These facts leads me to believe the possibility that there will be others participating in the auction of the sakuradite rods. Within the next couple of days we'll be called by our contacts to meet up with our host and her staff. The intelligence that we've gathered so far indicated that she'll be heavily protected by the local Chinese gangs providing security. I have a suspicion that the Triads might turn on us. Though they may be gunrunners, they have a notorious reputation of turning on outsiders that aren't welcome within their territory, especially with us in the picture.

Since Optimus is preoccupied with the defense of Sol, our resources are limited over here in Hong Kong. Prime may have confidence in the fleet keeping the system locked down nice and tight to prevent Decepticon reinforcements from entering Earth. Even with Starscream out of play, Megatron is still on the loose, and he'll look for any cracks in the fleet's defenses that he can find. Of course Prime knows this, and it is, as humans would say, a game of cat and mouse.

I've been in communication with Optimus via pulsewave transmission for the past few solar cycles. I shared with him my concerns of the mission, and he insists that most of the resources that have been directed to operations in North Africa and in Area 11, since they are greater areas of concerns. Personally, I think something else is cooking up, and waiting to see just what exactly is going to happen is not my strong suit. Then again, I don't have much of a choice except to work with what I've got on hand.

Nightbeat,head of Autobot Special Investigations


	36. Chapter 29 The Breach

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**The Autobot/American forces commence operations in Northern Africa. Meanwhile, the mercenaries dispatched from Earth head towards the _Trion_.**

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Chapter 29 – The Breach

EU Mediterranean Border  
Morocco, North Africa

Gillspie and three other Splinter Cells wore desert pattern tactical suits, which blended well with the local environment. While there were large stretches of sand that crossed miles, it made it easier for them to move out in the open. The Europeans couldn't risk sending their soldiers on foot any more than beyond fifty miles of the base since the temperatures soared above 130 degrees, and they were short on fuel. While they had more than enough vehicles to send light patrols, they were not by any means completely invisible.

Thanks to the innovations of Third Echelon, each Splinter Cell's suit was fitted with a filtering system that allowed to keep their bodies cool or warm, depending on the environment that they're operating in. Gillspie lifted the binoculars across his eyes and watched as German and French soldiers roamed around the outpost. They worked in twos, providing coverage to the entrances that provided access inside the settlement.

While the Americans worked in concert with the Autobots, there were a few that distrusted working with aliens such as the Transformers. Gillspie was one of the humans that shared in the discontent of teaming up on a mission which he felt that they had no business in doing. The fact that they were risking their lives alongside a foreign species seemed somewhat ludicrous to him. But, as the senior agent told himself time and again, this was no ordinary job.

"Prowl, this is Agent Gillspie, you copy?"

"Affirmative, Agent Gillspie. How are things on your end?"

"They still haven't seen us. We got eyes and ears on 'em."

"Our satellite coverage has determined that the Knightmares are stowed inside the facility."

"Well, there's also a couple of bunkers on the outer premises, with men manning them. They got machine guns, rocket launchers, and mines. Snipers are positioned in the main watchtower within the base. There're searchlights that provide a full 360 coverage around the perimeter. I can tell you that if we're going to do this, it ain't gonna be a cakewalk."

"Hmm, a little more heavily entrenched than what our intelligence indicated."

"Got any ideas?" Gillspie asked.

"I have something in mind. Head on back to base for the time being. We'll be planning preparations in executing the next phase of our operation shortly."  
_ _ _

**Shuttle 35  
En route to the **_**Trion**_

Banzai-Tron kept his blade grounded into the hull of the cockpit, just behind Dealer's seat. The latter focused on getting the passengers he had on board into the ship. The idea was prior to their arrival, the occupants would enter the crates in the back of the shuttle and pose as cargo so that they could be unloaded.

Usually ship sensors would scan for anomalies within the cargo that would differentiate them from one another, such as munitions, fuels and hazardous materials. What made the crates inside the shuttle different from regular cargo containers were the fact that they're equipped with tamper shields that would give a larger ship's internal scanning systems false readings. Dealer made sure that the crates that would carry the mercenaries undetected into the ship were preprogrammed to look like defective equipment in the eyes of the personnel that would be in proximity of the cargo.

Bomb-Burst and Banzai-Tron were going over final plans in which to disrupt part of the tachyon network that monitored activity throughout the entire sector. All of the other mercenaries stood around the pair as they navigating through each detail and what needed to be done upon arrival. A holographic avatar of Megatron materialized in front of Banzai-Tron. The latter narrowed his optics as the warlord began supplying additional bits of information to his hirelings.

"I trust all is going as planned?"

"Yes, Lord Megatron. We should be arriving shortly as intended," Bomb-Burst informed.

"Excellent. How long until you arrive?"

"In less than three cycles," Banzai-Tron stated. "What of the troops that are coming to Earth?"

"Stryka has already contacted me, and reinforcements are coming to this dimension as we speak. Remember, this is only a diversion. The main objective is to disrupt the fleet's tachyon network so that the additional troops can move planetside undetected," the warlord said.

The black-armored assassin nodded. "Understood, we'll be continuing as planned."

"See to it. Megatron out."

As the conversation terminated, Dealer turned to face the two leading mercenaries of the mission: "Sit tight gentlebots, we're about to arrive. Shuttle 35 to _Trion_, heading on approach vector bearing 035 mark 142 to drop in some equipment for repairs. ETA thirty nanokliks."

"Confirmed, 35. Welcome aboard."

As the shuttle entered, all of the Decepticons hid themselves inside the crates, ready to give their enemies the big surprise.  
__ _ __

**Main Hangar Bay  
Command Ship _Trion_**

Ironhide inspected the security detail that guarded the ship. All of them were gathered in a large formation within the vessel's holo-training facility. The aged security officer had an optic for checking details that were out of place when it came to the troops. Two megacycles passed before he finished checking the personnel and moved on to the armored divisions which they were responsible for.

The majority of the armored units stored within the main hold of the hangar bay next to the Alpha Sentinels parked against the launcher arms. Several Gamma Sentinels were lined alongside one another, some of which were in poor shape. Upon closer inspection the security officer noticed that the machine's main turret was smeared with dirt and grime, with wirings sticking out from inside.

"What's with this turret?"

"The fuses have been damaged, sir. We're still waiting on the replacement parts coming from one of the other ships."

"You're going to have to do better than that. Prime wants these units operational within the next several megacycles," the elder Autobot said before he felt a tap on his shoulder pad. "Who are you?"

"Name's Dealer, sir. I'm one of the pilots that just recently arrived in the system."

Ironhide wanted to get to the point. "Alright, what do you need?"

"Sir, I need you to sign this," Dealer said, offering a digital hand tablet.

"What is this?" the security officer asked.

"Equipment that's been scheduled for repairs per Commander Prowl's instructions."

Ironhide eyed Dealer suspiciously. He signed the pad and handed it back to the pilot. Once the signing was finished, the latter instructed the personnel on deck to bring in the cargo crates so that the damaged equipment could be unloaded. A large batch of crates containing the gear were marked with massive insignias that marked it as Autobot property. After they were scanned, Dealer bid the crew farewell and made way back to their galaxy.  
_ _ _

Two megacycles passed after the shuttle delivered its cargo into the _Trion_. A pair of guards doing security runs around the ship sensed something unusual about the crates that were dropped earlier. A technician that was nearby examining the crates. There was something odd about the bot. Most of the personnel that worked inside of the hangar bay knew each other, but neither of the guards recognized this mechanoid. They approached him cautiously, with their weapons shouldered behind them.

"Is everything alright?" one of the guards asked.

"Everything's just fine," the technician answered.

Both guards eyed him warily and glanced at the containers, which seemed larger than normal.

"Open the crate." one of the guards commanded.

The suspicious looking-tech opened the crate and suddenly disappeared. The two guards widened their optics in surprise finding that their 'comrade' was only a hologram. What came afterward were two squads of very dangerous-looking Decepticons armed to the teeth, ready to tear into the ship's hull plating. Two of them in particular mean-looking and, the purple crests on their chest plates shining proudly under the flagship's lights.

"Surprised to see us, Autobot?" Runamuck laughed, his visor glowing a bright red.

"What the-?" the guard muttered before his optics grew wide in shock, a massive hole gaping through his chest with smoke billowing from within. The hapless soldier dropped onto the deck as Runabout's rifle fumed at the end of the barrel. The mercenary laughed wickedly as his weapon took down its first victim.

The gunshot drew the attention of additional security personnel who immediately drew their firearms and attempted to stop the Decepticons in their tracks. Instead, they founded themselves overpowered by the sheer might of the weapons which the enemy mercenaries brought to bear, and the skill of the assassin that accompanied them. Banzai-Tron stood tall and sheathed his weapon.

"We've taken care of them," Runamuck told Bomb-Burst.

"Indeed. Head towards the tachyon control center. I'm going to go search for Optimus Prime." Banzai-Tron instructed.

"We don't take orders from you!" yelled Runabout.

"Come now, comrades. There is no need to fight," Bomb-Burst reminded the group.

Another one of the ship's personnel that was nearby watched helplessly as the two guards were gunned downed by the newcomers. He noticed that Decepticons have somehow managed to enter without being detected. He reached for the nearest comm panel and tapped through to call out any friendly soldiers that were nearby.

"We have intruders on board the ship! Send security down here now!" the crewmember's cry for help was silenced by the blade of Banzai-Tron.  
_ _ _

**Training Room  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_

Drift focused his psi energies around his chassis, his entire figure bathed in a bluish glow. Surrounded by a dozen Decepticon soldiers, he postured himself to prepare for the attack to come. They were only projections that acted as part of the training simulation to keep his skills sharp.

They came in twos and threes, the blademaster dispatching his foes with ease, smashing his fists into their armor. He deflected a blow meant for his spark core and threw his opponent over him. Another drew a dagger and launched it towards him. Drift caught it with his hand and threw it onto the floor before kicking the mechanoid three times in rapid succession and knocking the bot flat on his back.

Drift dodged a near-fatal stab from behind and landed a chop behind his enemy's neck. The enemy 'mechanoid' landed with a loud thud against the ground. In reaction, all of the others that were left standing staggered back. They attempted to distance themselves from him but instead fell pray to the merciless blows and swift finishes that took them down in less than a minute.

The computer that managed the simulation spoke with a feminine voice and a flat tone after he dispatched them. "Score: 100."

Drift judged the challenge that his enemies posed as relatively lax. He needed to raise the bar for himself farther. "Hmm, could be better. Computer, rerun simulation at advanced difficulty, level five."

"Confirmed. Please stand by."

In seconds the program booted up again, and the enemies moved with greater speed. Some of them managing to land a few blows against Drift before he recovered himself and countered swiftly. One of the opponents charged towards him as he lowered himself and locked the enemy's legs with his own.

Drift sensed that something was amiss.

"Computer, terminate program."

"Program terminated."

As the holographic projections of Decepticon soldiers disappeared, Drift ran out to search for the cause of the disturbance. His audio receptors caught onto the sounds as they drew him further into the bowels of the ship.  
_ _ _

**Briefing Room  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_

Jazz barged into the meeting without an apology. The normally cool-mannered officer was upset (with good reason). If he was going to stop Spike, he would need help. Prime sanctioned the mission in which Lelouch would be captured and interrogated. Jazz honestly believed that Lelouch had nothing to do with the Black Knights, but Spike seemed to be thinking the opposite.

"Optimus, I'm sorry for interrupting but we need to talk," the Autobot lieutenant said with an urgent tone in his voice. All of the other officers that were present stared at him.

"Gentlebots, would you give us a moment please?" the supreme commander gestured. All of the officers except himself and Jazz remained. He sensed that something was afoot and wanted to get to the point of the matter.

"What did you need to talk with me about, Jazz?"

"It's about Spike and the mission that we sanctioned to allow him to capture Lelouch Lamperouge."

"What of it?"

"Is this what we've become? Have we reached a point where we have to rely on hurting humans to get what we need?"

Prime narrowed his optics, disturbed by the accusatory nature of Jazz's question. "Understand that I did not come to that decision lightly. I stress that the Americans have volunteered to aid us in our goals. Their assistance in our endeavors is critical if we are to complete our mission and repair the damage that has been done to this world."

"So you're going to let him have his way by torturing an innocent kid?"

"No, but I do share your concerns about what is to happen to the chi, but I often question the supposed innocence of your friend. The discovery of a test subject of the Britannians' experiments is no coincidence, which I agreed is worth looking into."

"What test subject?"

"Do you still remember what Spike uncovered back at laboratory at Narita?"

"As clear as day. He uncovered something about a secret experiment that the Brits were running, using children as some sort of psionic weapon."

"Spike has reason to believe that the woman that his team observed might have something to do with the boy."

"Even if Lelouch has been trying to hide something, it still ain't right! We should be confronting _him_ about it!" Jazz emphasized.

"Which is why Ironhide will be heading back to Earth via shuttle to monitor the operation closely."

Optimus gestured Jazz to pause and tapped onto the ship's comm system. He grew alarmed at the sound of weapons fire in the background. Each shot grew louder in intensity, one of them striking near the comm panel of whoever was calling from the other side.

"What in blazes is happening down there?" he whispered.

"Optimus! The ship has been breached! Decepticon troops are on board!" Ironhide shouted. That was all the supreme commander needed to trigger a ship-wide broadcaster that would have the soldiers on board to mobilize, arm up and scour the decks of whoever dared to attack the insides of the ship.

"Hang on for as long as you can, Ironhide, I'm sending help!" Prime said before he tapped into his helmet's antennae. "This is Optimus Prime to all security personnel, I'm declaring a general alert! Arm yourselves and neutralize the intruders!"

"I'm heading back to the medical bay. We don't know how bad the threat is, and it looks like we're going to need all the bodies we can muster."

Prime took out his plasma rifle from his internal armory and cocked it, hoisting the weapon in front of his body. "Go."  
_ _ _

Banzai-Tron continued in slaying his enemies with his sword, sparks flying as severed wires and mechanical fluids covered the passageway towards the bridge.

"These security guards are weak."

"Drop your weapon and raise your servos where we can see 'em!"

Instead of obeying the command, the assassin sheathed his weapon behind his back and charged his inner energy. Moments later he disappeared in a bright flash, the guards shielding their eyes due to the disorienting nature of their light.

"Where'd he go?" shouted one of the guards.

A red Autobot with an oddly shaped helmet suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He seemed old and not as agile as he was. Banzai-Tron needed to kill him to prevent the old guard from doing anything foolish.

"What in the Inferno is going on in here?" the Autobot shouted with a low drawl before he bore witness to the dismembered bodies of his fellow soldiers everyone. He drew weapon but was too slow to stop Banzai-Tron before he severed one of the legs. The old bot clutched onto his limb, feeling the pain surge throughout his body. He tried to take down the assassin with his pistol but instead had his servos sliced, the sharpness making him yelp even more.

"You must be Ironhide. You're tough, but not enough to handle the likes of me. Don't worry, I'll get back to you shortly." Banzai-Tron said. Dozens of parts were scattered throughout the passages of the ship. The assassin spared no expense in cutting a swath against any and all who crossed his path. He wanted Optimus and the bridge crew to know that he was coming for them.

Three guards suddenly popped out of nowhere, photon rifles in hand and fully charged. He heard the whir as the trio unleashed several bursts meant to take him down. The assassin jumped and latched onto the ceiling like a spider and cracked the lights overhead with a swipe of his sword before he landed back onto the deck again. His feet was mute amidst the heavy gunfire as he rushed forth and dispatched the three Autobots with lethal efficiency.

A blast that sheered his midsection caught him by surprise. Banzai-Tron paused as he glanced at his wound. He leveled his head and smiled inwardly that the mech he was searching for decided to come out in the open. The massive Autobot leader kept his weapon trained at the assassin to prevent him from doing anything foolish.

"Get away from him. _Now,_" he commanded.

"The legendary Optimus Prime. Quite a pleasant surprise to actually meet you in person. Shame that I have to take you offline though."

Prime's optics narrowed. "Indeed? Well then, let's see what you got."

"With pleasure!" Banzai bellowed as he leaped and clung onto the walls before jumping again towards Prime's direction. A group of guards popped into the open with photon rifles drawn, firing at the assassin. Their bursts could not keep up with the Decepticon's speed, as he was just mere feet away from the Autobot leader. One guard stood in front of the massive commander to protect him from harm.

"Optimus, stand b -" the security bot gurgled before Prime watched him slain in an instant. The cyber-ninja lunged forth as he drew his blade back and swung forth toward's the chest plate of the Autobot leader. Optimus barely blocked the blow with his plasma rifle. In retaliation, Prime fired several blasts that struck the corners of the passageway. The Autobot leader widened his gaze at the assassin's skill.

Banzai-Tron halted his attack and saw a white mechanoid with certain tribal marks that covered his chassis. The Decepticon's inner spark sensed something familiar about this Transformer, his strength rivaling his own. His processor dug in deeper and noticed the darkened powers that this warrior harbored. The robot that he sensed earlier stepped forth at the end of the passageway, optics glowing bright blue. He looked into the two lights and instantly recognized the serious look behind them. Banzai-Tron smiled inwardly when he realized who he was about to face next.

"Deadlock, what a pleasant surprise."

"I had a feeling there was something strange going on," the armor-clad blademaster declared.

"Seeing as how you've decided to show up, I will gain satisfaction but turning you to rust instead."

"Get out of here, Drift," Prime commanded the blademaster.

"Optimus, let me handle this one," the white cyber-ninja insisted. Prime glanced at the two combatants. He was confident on taking on the assassin on his own, but the situation demanded his attention elsewhere. "Drift, be careful."

The white armor-clad cyber-ninja nodded. Banzai-Tron watched as Optimus retreated and searched for personnel with which to battle the rest of the intruders that have made way inside. He then focused his attention back to the real obstacle of his mission.

"So the rumors are true, you've betrayed the Decepticons to fight for these weaklings. You're wasting your talent, Deadlock."

"I'm called Drift, now," said the blademaster.

"It doesn't matter what you do. I'm on a mission and I intend to carry it out. And I'm not going to let you stop me," the Decepticon mercenary said.

Drift said nothing afterwards, but simply drew his short swords and rushed into battle against his former comrade. Banzai-Tron held his blade high and charged as the two warrior's swords collided against one another. Both blademasters used their psi-energies to anticipate each other's moves. Drift blocked an upward strike that came from below and kneed his opponent in the faceplate.

Banzai-Tron recovered on his feet and scratched his chin. He shrugged off the impact as if it was nothing. There was nothing more satisfying than fighting a rival that was just as skilled as he was in a fight to the death.

**End of Chapter 29**

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Author's Note:

The beginning is meant to serve as the precursor for the chapters after the next one where the Autobot African forces will engage against the Decepticons and the Britannians. I need inputs as to what Knightmares the Europeans have that are analogous in size and function to the imperial Sutherlands and Gloucesters. Any advice will be credited, just send me a PM.

And props to my readers (including SC and Worker72) for their support.


	37. Chapter 30 Diversionary Tactics

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**As the Decepticons make their way through the inner corridors of the _Trion_, the Autobots conduct a counteroffensive to route the intruders off the flagship.**

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Chapter 30 – Diversionary Tactics

Engine Room  
Command Ship _Trion_

Wheeljack and a team of engineers were working on several adjustments to the ship's gravity control before the general alarm was sounded. Within two cycles they cleared out of the engine room and activated the automated security to hold off any intruders that would attempt to breach the space. Several nanokliks after that, they went to a nearby armory and picked up weapons which to defend themselves.

Turrets popped out of the bulkheads and cocked as munitions were loaded within their internal mechanisms. High explosives contained within flak shells would tear the Decepticons to shreds. There were also laser grids that, if passed by a hostile intruder, would trigger less lethal traps that would entrap and neutralize the room's unwanted 'guests'.

"Everyone clear out. We got to help the rest of the crew search for a safer place. Hopefully we'll come across a security team that can back us up."

Several cycles passed when they got out of the space and into the passageways that led into the upper decks. The engineers were not as good as fighters as the regular contingent of soldiers that were on board. One of the members of Wheeljack's team strayed too far ahead and got shot by one of the Decepticon mercenaries that roamed across the _Trion_'s halls.

"GET DOWN AND TAKE COVER!" the chief engineer commanded. Two of the other engineers moved to slow, while the others did as instructed. By then Wheeljack brought his shoulder-mounted launchers to bear and sent a volley of four missiles flying in their direction. The projectiles destroyed three of the intended targets and sent one other crashing into the deck. Struggling to get back up, the Decepticon mercenary aimed his disrupter ray and pointed at one of the downed engineers before Wheeljack came to the rescue and fired his photon rifle at the enemy's head.

When the blast struck, sparks flew as the intense energy fried the enemy's processor. Wheeljack immediately came to the aid of his subordinates and brought him to another engineer that was standing. Other members of the team scrambled and worked to do the same.

"Get up, come on." the chief engineer said to another of the damaged workers and wrapped his arm around his shoulders to get him on his feet. "We need to get these bots medical attention now! Let's move!"  
**_ _ _**

**Medical Bay  
Command Ship _Trion_**

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker awoke in a dazed state. Sideswipe felt groggy, and banged his helmet several times to clear his blurred vision with the palm of his hand. As he came to, he noticed the red lights that blinked intermittently through the room they were in. He flexed his shoulders and worked his digits as his sight was restored.

"What in the inferno?" the red twin groaned, his optics fading in and out. Sunstreaker narrowed his own at the presence of enemy soldiers.

They founded themselves caught in the midst of chaos. Decepticons rampaged through the decks despite their small numbers.

"Good to see you bots are awake, we need to move pronto!"

"What's happening?"

"Intruders on the ship. Come on."

The twins got themselves off of the operating tables and fell in line behind Jazz and his team of security troops. All of them were armed with photon rifles and EMP shotguns to take down their foes. Open hostility could only be responded in kind with lethal force.

Jazz and his group measured their steps and advanced cautiously through the ship's corridors. One of the guards that served as the point bot knelt with a photon rifle in hand and signaled to everyone else behind him that it was safe to continue. He raised his hand again that made the group pause and watched shadows moving just several meters away.

"Hold it right there!"

"Easy, we're friendlies!" one of the mechs said with his hands raised in surrender. The security soldier lowered his weapon and Jazz spotted the Wheeljack, dirtied from excess work that the latter was conducting in the main engineering room. They carried with them several wounded techs that were damaged from weapons fire.

"Wheeljack, glad to see you homey!" Jazz exclaimed with relief.

"The feeling's mutual," the chief engineer replied.

"What's the situation?"

"A few of my team's been hit bad, they need medical attention," Wheeljack informed.

Jazz turned to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker: "You two, get these bots to the med bay," the special ops lieutenant instructed before he turned back to the chief engineer. "Obviously you came across some of the 'Cons."

"We did. Security systems are active but they don't seem to be holding the enemy back hard enough. These 'Cons are good!" Wheeljack noted.

"We can still use the element of surprise in our favor," Jazz said before he was interrupted by one of the security soldiers.

"Lieutenant, I founded a holomap from the processor of this soldier right here. You and Wheeljack might want to see this."

Jazz extended his palm at a small thick discus-like object and held it. He clicked on the module, activating a holographic representation of what was clearly a blueprint of the _Trion_ itself. Wheeljack leaned in to see what the lieutenant was seeing and did not like what he saw, sharing in Jazz's sentiments that the enemy was after something very specific. Jazz zoomed in on the ship's inner corridors until a specific section of the ship was highlighted.

"Wheeljack, is that what I think it is?" Jazz asked as he handed the module to his friend to confirm they were both seeing the same thing.

"They're going after the astrophysics lab! That's where the tachyon control grid is at!" the chief engineer exclaimed. "If they blow that section of the lab, we'll be blind to cloaked ships."

"Well then, best we get moving."

Wheeljack, and all the other members of Jazz's group nodded in agreement. After a small amount of discussion, the two mechs each took a group of security personnel to assist in searching the decks for the intruders. Splitting up made it easier to spread out as they attempted to seek out the hostiles, especially since time is of the essence.  
_ _ _

**Deck 5  
Command Ship _Trion_**

In another part of the ship, Drift and Banzai-Tron continued their duel in hand-to-hand combat. The latter pulled whatever tricks he had on his sleeve in order to outwit his foe. Barely evading a fatal blow from one of the Decepticon's hidden energon daggers, Drift rolled to the side and swung a palm to Banzai-Tron's mid-section and kicked with unhindered fury.

"This is the Deadlock that I've been wanting to see for a long time! Come on!" Banzai-Tron challenged, wanting to bring back the inner killer that he knew so long ago.

"It's Drift!" the blademaster grunted, using his strength to shove the assassin back.

"Think you can escape your past? Think you can outrun what you've done to all those Autobots years ago?"

"No, but I can help put an end to this war."

"The war will go on forever! You can't deny it!" Banzai-Tron declared. Neither bot showed signs of giving in to one another, and they were putting their all to take each other down. Banzai-Tron landed a strike of his blade against Drift's shoulder pad. The white cyber-ninja yelped in pain as the assassin drove it deeper before he retracted it and prepared for another strike.

As soon as Banzai-Tron lunged forward, Drift swung his blades and slashed against the Decepticon's midsection. The former countered hard with a swift kick that sent his foe into the air and knocked him down. Drift used his short swords to hoist himself back up onto his feet and prepare for another attack. He saw Banzai-Tron leap into the air as the latter jump kicked in his direction, giving Drift an opportunity as he kicked the mercenary in the knee and sent him rolling on the deck.

"You've been holding back," the assassin grunted.

Drift somersaulted onto the ground and crouched down as Banzai-Tron led his attacks with a series of pierces meant to strike at his spark and his neck. The white blademaster held his ground and spun around with his right elbow, smashing into the Decepticon's chest plate and kneeing him in the head. Banzai-Tron staggered back at the force of the blows and shook his helmet to recover. After years of waiting, the assassin finally founded the challenge he had been searching for. And he was going to savor every second of it.  
_ _ _

**Deck 14  
Command Ship _Trion_**

Squads of Autobot troopers were clearing each room deck by deck. The ship's internal sensors were useless since the mercenaries were using signal dampeners to mask themselves, making them difficult to track. Meanwhile, Jazz led a team which was tasked in neutralizing the intruders that were still on the move.

Moments later the team stumbled upon a couple of enemy sentries that were on the lookout for Autobots. Jazz alerted his team to take up defensive positions and shoot the hostiles. As the firefight began, he heard a ringing inside his helmet and realized someone was calling to him. There was only one person that he knew that would attempt to reach him, and the timing couldn't have been badder.

"Oh no, not now..."

The heiress of the Ashford family never realized that the three 'brothers' were miles high in space. Against his own judgment he decided to answer the call in the midst of a firefight. Telling her the truth was out of the question, since the circumstances would seem to be too incredible for her to believe.

"Milly?"

"Jerome, we were wondering if you and the twins would be interested in joining us at the Tokyo festival in the next couple of days?"

"I'm a little busy right now, Milly!"

"What's that noise in the background?"

"There's a fight going on at the club!"

"A fight?"

"call you back!" Jazz replied. The only thing that mattered was the present, he would have to wait to her in person later and apologize for his abruptness.

Shells from the enemy soldiers' neutron assault rifles pelted against the bulkheads of the ship.  
The relentless assault of the enemy's attacks pushed the Autobots situated in the lower decks on the defensive.

Flak grenades rolled towards their direction. Jazz reacted on instinct on shoved the nearby Autobot security soldier out of the way. "MOVE!"

"Autobot scum. Time to meet your maker."

The special ops officer froze in place before he caught his enemy by surprise and locked his arm in a wrist hold. "It's going to take more than aiming at pointblank range to take me down."

Jazz used the momentum of his body to throw him onto the ground. The special ops officer got back up and knocked him out with his feet. He knew that the enemy wasn't going to get back up for a while. That was until he heard a weapon cocked and felt the end of a barrel touching the back of his head. Raising his hands in surrender, Jazz stood completely still, waiting for the Decepticon mercenary to make the next move.

"Sir!" shouted one of the security guards as he saw Jazz held at gunpoint.

"Don't do anything drastic!" the Autobot lieutenant instructed.

"Stay right ther – OOF!" the hostile groaned as he fell, a metallic clang echoed throughout the space. By then Jazz lowered his hands and turned to find a couple of enemy soldiers knocked out unconscious at the feet of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. The red twin flexed his digits, admiring his handiwork as he gave an impish grin to the special ops lieutenant.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Sunstreaker grunted.  
**_ _ _**

**Astrophysics Lab  
Command Ship _Trion_**

Six Decepticon mercenaries led by Bomb-Burst cut a swathe through the forward corridors of the ship, taking down any Autobot that they could find. The Battlechargers Runamuck and Runabout took point with their rifles sighted in front of them. By the time they reached their destination, the pair observed that two guards were posted in front of the entrance to the lab. Runamuck leveled his weapon and shot the left sentry while Runabout shot the right one. Both slumped lifelessly against the floor, and the Decepticons proceeded cautiously towards their objective.

"We are clear," Runamuck informed the group.

Bomb-Burst moved the two mercenaries aside and attached a cable to the lock. He depressed a switch that broke the scanner-lock, since the lab only allowed authorized personnel to enter the space. Once they entered inside, Bomb-Burst smiled in admiration as he examined the inside of the space.

It was truly a technological marvel to behold, a by-product of the genius of the enemy. All of the science of which the Autobots devoted themselves for the betterment of Cybertronian civilization created the objective which they sought to destroy. The mercenary leader considered it too bad that all of it would be gone to waste.

"Get the charges," he instructed.

One of the Decepticon soldiers dispensed several explosives, with all of them setting them up at different parts of the lab before they finished.

"Charges are set," Runamuck informed.

"Alright, let's clear the area and detonate them," Bomb-Burst commanded. He and his group left the room as intended. By the team moved to the opposite wall, every console and power line that tied the tachyon system together was destroyed. All that remained of the equipment was smoke and fire, the _Trion_'s internal extinguishing systems working to put out the danger before it spread throughout the ship. All of the Decepticons howled and cheered in victory before they attempted to make their getaway. The celebration was cut short as Runamuck and Runabout heard something coming from the distance.

Their visors brightened as they saw headlights coming from the distance, as well as the hum of a massive engine from the distance. They knew it was not good news when it came rushing forth and rammed against the soldiers head-on. The impact left the group of seven laying on the ground, struggling to recover themselves.

The truck changed into robot form, smokestacks strutting out of its shoulder pads with the Autobot insignia marking them. Runamuck and Runabout wondered why the hell did Banzai-Tron do his job and take out Prime according to their original plan. There were more of them, and he was only one, but that didn't mean the fight itself was going to be easy. And, as expected of him, he would take on as many Decepticons as Megatron dared to throw at him.

"You will move no further," Optimus ordered the intruders. "If you know what's best for you then you will stand down. _Now_."

"No chance that's going to happen! Eat this, Prime!" Bomb-Burst declared. Optimus watched as the mercenary chuck the flak grenade into the air, sending flechettes that flew at hypersonic speed. The shards struck the supreme commander by the midsection and his right forearm as he tried moving backwards, whilst shaking off the impact of the blast. Prime countered with his ion blaster and fired continuous bursts that killed three of the mercenaries and crippled another. Another blast struck Bomb-Burst, piercing through his armor and taking him out.

The Battlechargers attempted to take down the enemy commander to no avail. Like a lion, the Autobot leader spared no expense in showing his fury. He used his blaster as a club and swung it against Bomb-Burst, effectively taking him out of play. Runamuck and Runabout shot in panic, knowing that Prime was going to let loose of his anger against them. Everything turned into a blur as Optimus rushed towards Runabout, grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the ground.

By then the Autobot leader turned his attention toward Runamuck, who was the only Decepticon in sight left standing. The mercenary yelled and fired his weapon but missed as Prime rocketed his way into the air and landed a punch that knocked the Battlecharger down. Optimus narrowed his optics as he picked up the hireling by the chest plate and lifted him off his feet with his immense strength.

"You and your allies have a lot of nerve to even dare stepping on my vessel and kill members of my crew," Optimus said cocked his right arm back and slammed his fist into the mercenary's face plate. The impact dented the bot's mouthpiece and cracked Runamuck's visor. Afterwards, Prime dumped the mercenary pair into a nearby escape pod and slammed his heel into the bot's chassis. The Decepticon hireling crashed into the hull of the capsule with a loud thud.

"Get off my ship!"

Afterward he landed his palm into the ejection module and sent them flying helplessly in space. Runabout and Runamuck's face plates were against the view port as they yelled into the void. They tried scratching their way out, but were unable to do since the ejection pod operated only when it detected a safe environment, with the nearest planet being Earth. Several Autobot soldiers swarmed the deck and noticed the downed Decepticons and their leader.

"Optimus, are you alright?" one of the guards asked.

"I'm fine," Prime answered as he pointed to Bomb-Burst. "Take the prisoner to the brig. I want to ask him a few questions when he comes online again."

The soldier saluted sternly at attention. "Yes sir!"

Prime nodded in consent and watched as a pair of soldiers picked Bomb-Burst by his arms and dragged his chassis along the deck. Optimus searched for ion blaster and picked it up from the ground before stashing it inside of his internal armory. He contacted the ship's bridge to begin conducting assessments on just how much damage the Decepticons have caused.  
_ _ _

**Deck 5  
Command Ship _Trion_**

Seeing that Drift had no intention of allowing him to walk away unscathed, the assassin saw little incentive in holding back. Both studied the ancient Cybertronian arts under the same master, except that Banzai-Tron upped his lethality through the art of crystolocution, where a single touch would crystalize a mechanoid's body, with another swipe that would shatter them into pieces. Banzai-Tron attempted to test it by driving his two index fingers into Drift's body, only to be countered and knocked out with a hard chop to the neck.

"You have untapped potential. Megatron was right to choose you as his champion."

The blademaster shook his head. "He's forgotten of the Decepticons' original cause. His own madness has driven our people to nearly became extinct!"

"And yet we are still standing! Tell me, is it worth it? Is it worth wasting your life over these Autobots?"

Drift clutched onto his swords and crossed them in an X, his processor focused solely on his enemy.

"Draw it! Draw your sword! Unleash the fury which you've hidden for so long!" Banzai-Tron dared to his former comrade.

Fury welled from within. His processor worked on overload as his psionic energies channeled through his body, slowly enhancing his physical strength. His blades flashed as the psi from his spark emaninated through his arms.

"That's it! Come on! Show your true form!" the assassin laughed.

The blademaster's optics glowed bright white, an indicator that his strength was reaching critical mass. Drift lifted his short swords and struck them into the ground, his body a conduit that released a shockwave of immense power that cracked into the ground and rushed towards Banzai-Tron. The blast shocked the assassin as arcs of electricity discharged from within, making him howl in agony. Seconds later Banzai-Tron collapsed and remained still.

Feeling the pain course through his chassis, Drift leaned against the bulkhead and laid his swords beside him. Fighting against experienced warriors like the Predacons, Megatron, and Banzai-Tron finally took its toll on his body. He noticed his spark energy was weaker than before. Drawing out his psionic power like he did earlier. He heard the metallic clamor of footsteps as Ratchet and a couple of security guards came about and spotted both him and Banzai-Tron laying on the ground.

"Drift! Are you alright?" the CMO called out.

"I'll be fine," the blademaster coughed.

"Come on, I got you." Ratchet assured, lifting the cyber-ninja onto his feet. Both made their way back towards medical, the blademaster was at least happy that the fighting was over as his optics blacked out.

"Thanks..."

"Drift! DRIFT!" the doctor called out to his comrade, watching helplessly as the cyber-ninja's body shut down as it went limp.  
_ _ _

**Astrophysics Lab  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_

Two megacycles passed after the fighting came to a halt. Optimus walked inside of the room and saw Wheeljack and a team of engineers examine the wreckage caused by the Decepticons' explosives. The enemy knew where to detonate their bombs. If they ever got to the engine room, the entire ship would've been destroyed. Prime thanked the Matrix that scenario never came to pass.

"How bad is it?" the supreme commander asked.

"Bad. The explosion destroyed the power lines to several of the couplers. Our tachyon capabilities are pretty much crippled," Wheeljack informed in a morose tone. The _Trion_ provided the majority of the fleet's anti-cloak sensor grid, while the other ships served as merely extensions of the network.

The situation made it all the more reason to search for a solution in the establishment of a new grid. Ships operating individually didn't have enough range. Prime figured that Wheeljack could find an alternative means to sense cloaked ship. Whether it would serve as effectively as the original tachyon design remained another matter entirely.

"With the couplers shot, we would need replacement parts to change the system out with a brand new one."

"How long would the repair work take?"

"Three to five solar cycles. That system is very fragile and it was difficult to construct, since the ore that is used to supply the energy is rare. As for the repair parts, we have several. But they're not enough to repair the system. The _Trion_ is the only ship in the fleet that is generates enough power to stretch the net through the entire system."

"Do we still have access to external communications?" Prime asked.

"Yes."

"Send a subspace message to Ultra Magnus and the other senior commanders back home. Let them know of our situation In the meantime, I want damage reports from the other decks and find out what happened."

Wheeljack nodded and left. Prime tended to Ironhide, who was nursing his wounds but nonetheless still operational.

"How are you, old friend?"

"A little bent up. Otherwise, still online and more than willing to bust some Deceptichops."

The Autobot leader chuckled at the security officer's rugged demeanor. Ironhide, advanced in age though he may be, was just about as boastful as a younger soldier within the ranks. Despite his fortitude, he was not by any means invincible. Prime opted to remind his colleague of that fact.

"All in due time, just keep in mind that you're not young. I have a question for you, however: do you remember what happened before the fighting occurred?"

"It sizzles my circuits to tell you this, Optimus: I think we have insiders."

"A mole?"

"Several to be exact. Earlier today, there was a pilot named Dealer that brought in what he claimed was damaged equipment. There's no doubt in my processor he was the one that got those 'Cons on the ship."

"Strange. Prowl made no indication of equipment that needed to be sent for repairs."

"I checked the logs, and they indicated that there were several weapons that needed to be brought down. The rest well... you already know."

"If there are indeed traitors amongst our own forces, then our mission to defeat the Decepticons have already been compromised."

Optimus Prime narrowed his optics at his own realization. The fact that rogue agents operated within his own forces meant that the Autobots that were currently stationed in the alternate universe, and perhaps the rest of the divisions back home were vulnerable to infiltration. Coupled that the fleet lost a percentage of its tachyon sensor capabilities would force the Autobots to step up their efforts even more.  
_ _ _

**Student Council Chamber  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Lelouch waited as the call routed through his laptop. He attached an encryption module to the USB port to cover his tracks. Afterwards he began his call to the one man that he could rely upon to provide the one favor that he hoped the individual in question would provide. Seconds ticked before the call routed through, and then the person answered in a cracked voice. "Yes?"

"It's me, I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?

"I need protection for my classmates at the Tokyo Festival."

"And why should I devote whatever scarce resources that I have in the defense of the very people that are trying to enslave us?"

By the time the question was asked Lelouch knew where the conversation was going. Taizo wanted a favor in exchange for the support that the Kyoto House was giving the Black Knights, since there was much risk involved in associating oneself with a wanted criminal. The Kyoto House invested much in confiding in his ability to defeat the occupation forces. Taizo figured that there was no reward in protecting children that held no strategic value in the liberation process, so Lelouch had to give him an incentive.

"They're not like the Britannians that we know," the ex-prince answered.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"Because I have a suspicion that there's a threat against me based on credible intelligence from my sources in the city. And if I am kidnapped or killed, then any hopes of freeing Japan from Britannia's clutches dies."

After a moment of consideration, the lord gave his reply: "I'll send what men I can spare."

"Thank you, Lord Kirihara," Lelouch replied, remembering to respect the elderly Japanese man.

"Keep this line open. You will be hearing from me soon."

"Indeed," the ex-prince answered.

By the time the call terminated, Lelouch disconnected the encryption module and re-attached it to his cell phone. Seconds went by as he leaned against his chair, his mind in a train of thought. C.C. gingerly made her way through, and Lelouch slowly grew accustomed to her presence within the room, since Milly were with Kallen, Nina and Shirley making preparations for their trip.

"I trust all is going well?" the immortal witch asked.

"At least for the time being," Lelouch answered. "You have a bad habit of exposing yourself when there is little need to."

"We are accomplices, but I will remind you that I am _not_ your pet."

"No, you are not," the ex-prince said. "However, may I remind you that it is not safe. Clovis has been dead for a while, but there are people within the government that wants to get you back."

"It'll be a long time before they find us, or that we're evening working together."

"You are still taking a risk of showing up out in the open, and if people saw you with me there would be a lot of questions raised."

"What? That I am a secret lover?"

The ex-prince did not answer the question. C.C. merely served as a means to an end, nothing more. It was all that she would ever be, especially since she often had the gall to even taunt him. Though he could not deny that her usefulness extended beyond the fact that she granted him his power. At times, he believed that she was the darker side of his conscious.

Lelouch dwelled on other thoughts, wanting to meet with Rakshata Chawla in person but opted against it due to his scheduling with his friends. The ex-prince figured that he could use a little bit of relief from the rigors of leadership. And a little bit of fun on the side, too. It was only 7:00 PM, but he needed to rest early for the day of the festival, especially since he knew that he would be worn out by the time the event was over.

"Best that you make haste and leave, I'm going to rest tonight. Tomorrow evening is going to be a long evening for me, and I'm going to savor it," Lelouch said. He reminisced on the events of the past few weeks, and all that was left was getting to Cornelia. By the time Ohgi and Inoue secured the rods in Hong Kong, he would have another weapon in his arsenal and take the city by force in order to get her out into the open.

**End of Chapter 30**

* * *

Author's Note:

The absence of Optimus Prime and Drift in many of the previous chapters prior to the last one disturbed me somewhat. They are integral to the eventual passing of the events of the story in the Transformers' interactions with the Code Geass universe.

And a heads up: I got two weeks of studying HF/UHF before I transfer over to Japan, and from what I've heard in my current school it's a pain in the ass, so you might not be seeing updates for a bit. If I can I'll see if I can snake in one or two.


	38. Chapter 31 Necessary Measures

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**At the night of the Tokyo Festival, the Americans make their way as citizens rejoice in a moment of celebration. Lelouch enjoys whatever moment of peace he can before.**

* * *

****

Chapter 31 – Necessary Measures

Western District  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 

After three days of observation, all went as Spike had intended. The festival was minutes away from starting, and there were a few VIPs in attendance. The Americans would use the crowd and the festivities as cover in which to snatch the person who may have ties to the bane of their operation ever since they arrived. There were only six of them, with Spike and Agent Faulkner the most senior individuals of the group. The SEAL commander wanted to hold the rest of the NSA agents in reserve in case things went south.

The chief liaison composed himself and spoke: "Gentlemen, listen up. Today's our lucky day, and Lelouch Lamperouge is out in the open. This fellow's got a connection with the Black Knights, which means that if we get him, we get to Zero."

"Exactly why are we going after this kid?" one of the agents asked, scratching his head with a curious look.

"About several days ago I uncovered evidence that linked to Lelouch Lamperouge. The hard drive contained classified intel that couldn't be decoded on site. Which suggests there's some kind of connection when the attack occurred after I recovered the server hard drive from the city hall," Spike explained.

"So Zero somehow got wind that you were fishing for information?" an operative asked.

"At hindsight, the evidence seems minimal. Seeing it now, the occurrence of the attack was far too coincidental for it to have happened within a short time frame. That's why we're going to bring Lelouch in for questioning."

"Are there any hostiles?" Faulkner asked.

Spike nodded. "Likely. Right now we are operating under the assumption that he is not without protection. Whoever he spoke to back at the school will obviously be helping to provide security for himself and his classmates. That means we need to be careful in how we maneuver around the area."

"At least we can move on without the Autobots goddamn babysitting us," one of the agents chimed.

"Hey, mind yourself. They have their reasons for doing this, and so do I. It took a lot of convincing on my end to ask Optimus to let us continue unhindered. And to be frank, this is technically their expedition, so I don't wanna hear crap about that nonsense. Got it?"

The agent begrudgingly nodded. Spike saw the distrust in a couple of the men's eyes. In their minds, he understood that they believed they were working for aliens that only wanted to use them for their own ends. In all honesty, he felt the same way once. Everybody had an ulterior motive, and the Autobots were no different from humans in that regard. However, kept the lesson of actions speak louder than words in mind, with the deeds displayed by Optimus and his forces serving as a prime example. A part of himself believed that each action that they took had grand implications for the sake of the greater good. After working with them for a long time, he believed that perhaps that as a group that could make a difference in the long run.

Spike focused back on the task at hand and glanced at the team's surroundings. They were lucky to pull in and secure slots at the last minute which they could proceed unhindered. All of them donned coveralls, disguising themselves as technicians that were conducting repairs and maintenance if the need arose. A few of the men that the chief liaison recruited for this particular mission had technical backgrounds in fixing equipment that needed to be serviced if they broke down. Combined with the fact that all of them worked in the field operations, their skill sets made them assets that could be used in accordance with the conditions of the situation at hand.

"All right guys, so we got the game plan down. Keep in mind that we need to blend in with the civilian population as good as possible. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"How do you want us to play it out if we encounter the hostiles?"

"Use non-lethal force only. We don't need dead bodies and turn the festival into a morgue."

"Are you serious?" another one of the agents asked, earning a reprimanding look from the chief liaison.

"Alright, let's go," Spike said.

All of the men nodded in agreement and dispersed into the crowd to their assigned locations.  
_ _ _

Lelouch, Shirley, and the rest of the student council stood in front of the auditorium where there would be a commencement speech. The ex-prince opted to come not only because Milly asked him to do so for Shirley, but because he received intelligence that his half-sister would be attendance. Unfortunately, that proved to be faulty, since Cornelia was nowhere to be seen on sight. That fact irked him greatly, since the intel was received from none other than one of Tamaki's sources. As soon as he returned with the Black Knights, Lelouch was going to give him a stern talk down.

For the moment, he just wanted to relax with his friends and family. In his heart, he considered the council to be like family. After living at Ashford Academy for so many years, he shared a bond that rivaled that of Euphemia and Cornelia back at the olden days when he still lived back in the mainland.

"Is something wrong, Lelouch?" Rivalz asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Lelouch lied, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Thanks for bringing me along, big brother," Nunnally chirped happily.

The ex-prince smiled in response. "I'm just happy that you could come along with us. You could use a little fresh air."

The Tokyo festival only happened once every year, and since his sister couldn't see the sights, at she could hear and experience them for herself. Nothing made him more content than the smile of his sister, since he'd been spending more of his time away from the school.

Moments afterward the lights in front of the auditorium illuminated the grassy floor all around. Lelouch remained alert as the stage ahead was covered by a massive red curtain, showing very little underneath. Slowly the curtain raised and the stage was brightened by the overhead lights mounted on the railings.

His eyes spotted a man dressed in formal attire with all of the stage's lights directed at him. His uniform indicated his station as a member of one of the viceroy's personal staff, which . Only two members of the royal guard accompanied the speaker, the latter being the most enthused to be up in front of every citizen present.

_Another one of Cornelia's lackeys_, the ex-prince concluded.

"Is thing on? Ah," the man said while composing himself. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen... I am Minister Nirren."

"Ugh, get on with your speech already," Lelouch growled in a low voice.

"Today, we would like to commemorate the seventh year of the colonization. The war between our two peoples was a tragedy, but now we can celebrate in a peace that was hard fought by both sides."

_A slaughter_, Kallen thought bitterly. She never would forgive the empire for enslaving the Japanese, which she felt that she was at heart. She loved her father and her mother, but never forgot the weight of Naoto's death upon her mind. Kallen looked around and looked at her friends with a morose state of mind, she couldn't bring herself to harm those she had become friends with over the past few months.

"So here we are gathered, regardless if you are Japanese or Britannian, to symbolize the friendship in which we now share that has lasted for more than five years."

_Not exactly the greatest achievement conceived by the empire, _Lelouch thought before the concluded his oratory.

"Now, let the festivities commence!"

Everyone watched in awe as fireworks boomed overhead, the rockets carrying them exploding a bright and dazzling display of colors across the night sky. Much of the audience broke off and went to the different stalls and rides that were scattered around while other remained to watch the illumination overhead, no doubt wowed by the beauty in which the fireworks portrayed as the colors began forming into distinct shapes.

The student council gathered back to one of the stalls in front of the auditorium before they walked together towards a tower-ride called 'The Mountain Giant', imitating a 100-foot creature that imitated a massive creature which appeared to have come from ancient Britannian folklore. Rivalz rushed towards Lelouch as the latter pushed his sister's wheelchair along.

"What did you think of the speech?" Rivalz asked.

"It was uninspiring," Lelouch said flatly. His response to the address to the crowd made it clear to his classmates that the black-haired teen was not impressed by the delivery and execution of the speech to the audience. At least he felt confident in himself that he could inspire hope amongst the disenfranchised Japanese within the colony.

"Aren't you ever the political type," Milly giggled and tapped Lelouch playfully.

"It helps to remain detached," Lelouch stated. As the group proceeded through one of the food stands, Shirley locked her arms around his as the group strolled along the festival area. One in particular caught her eye as she halted the council and guided them towards one of the stands.

A cashier gave an offering of cotton candy to Shirley and she held the sweet treat in triumph. The auburn-haired girl tasted it, savoring the texture of the soft mound of sugar before she offered the stick of which it was mounted on to Lelouch. The ex-prince was caught by surprise when she came up next to him.

"Try this!"

With a shrug the student vice president leaned forward and tasted the cotton candy. He enjoyed the sweetness as it melted in his mouth. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was someone watching him. It was subtle but very distinct, with weeks of observing professionals in disguise, Lelouch knew the differences of regular workers vice agents that were attempting to track his movements.

"Hmm, not bad," he said in all honesty.

"It's a shame that the Snyders are missing out on this. I'm sure they would've enjoyed this immensely..." Milly said somberly.

Lelouch placed a hand on his friend's shoulder as a sign of sympathy to the brothers' absence. "Perhaps we can invite them for another time. Hang on, I'll be right back."

The young woman nodded in response as the rest of the student council joined in the festivities along with their fellow citizens. Lelouch instead came up to a Britannian security guard and Geassed him, bringing the hapless individual under his will. The ex-prince studied his victim and looked like he was big enough to crush him with his bare hands. He hoped it would be enough to take down those the people that were tailing him and his friends.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Yes?" the guard replied, his eyes red showing the influence which the ex-prince held over him.

"There is a man in a cap and coveralls that went that way. Look for him and find out what he's doing. If he resists, kill him. Understand that this conversation never took place, and you will follow my command. Do you understand?"

The guard nodded and spoke with a zombie-like tone. "I understand..."

Lelouch shot a sinister grin. "Good..."  
_ _ _

**Outer Shed  
Tokyo Festival**

As the people went about enjoying themselves, Agent Faulkner snuck around a corner and peered at the Ashford student council. He was caught by surprise and froze in place at the sound of a gun clicked behind his head. His own weapon was holstered inside of his coveralls, so he was unable to draw the weapon unless he wanted to get himself shot. Instead he froze in place and waited for the person who held him at gunpoint to say something.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to be working on the merry-go-round here."

"You don't look like you're from around here. Let me see your ID," the bulky brute demanded, red light emanating around the eyeballs. His gun gave him confidence, and there wasn't much else the NSA operative could do except heed to the man's demand. He slowly put his left hand up while using his right to pretend he was grabbing an I.D., the guard maintaining a cautious eye for any suspicious trick that the American intended to pull.

"Hang on, give me moment while I fish it out," Faulkner offered while walking forward.

"Stay back!"

Ignoring the command, Faulkner lowered himself and rushed towards the man's position, knocking the gun away with a swipe of his hand. He noticed the man swinging a hard left hook that was heading towards his jaw. Anticipating the movement, he sidestepped the attack and kneed the guard in the stomach. Air escaped from the man's mouth as he dropped onto his hands and knees, trying to recover himself.

_Big fella for being able to withstand that_.

Faulkner parried the attack and knocked out the guard with a strike to the midsection and another blow straight at base of the neck. The man dropped onto the floor without so much as getting back up. He knelt next to the body and tied him up in plastic binds before lifting the man up and carrying him to an isolated spot. Walking to a line of trees and bushes, he lowered the body where nobody could disturb him and his victim.

"That's what you get for pointing a gun at me, pal."

Faulkner examined the eyes and closed them back shut. He scratched his head in a confused state. _I could've sworn I saw a red glow there a minute ago_...

He looked on the ground and saw three shadows converging on his location. The agent made a dash towards the trees and knelt behind the bushes, pulling out a scope to see who was tailing him. Three men in black suits, all of them suspicious looking, fanned out and did a search pattern around the spot in which Faulkner and his foe fought earlier. His swept the area and founded a path which he could use to escape. By the time the trio fanned out too far from each other, he had already disappeared from view.  
_ _ _

"Let's head to the stand over here," Rivalz suggested. The stand had the billboard 'Athena Gallery' overhead. Within were a set of three BB guns lined up on the stand, with a wide array of targets placed behind. They were different picture stands of Knightmare frames, each with a different numerical point value. A lot of the common ones were worth at least five points, with other targets valued at ten and fifteen.

"How much for this one?" the blue-haired teen asked.

"Five pounds," the worker said. "If you hit several of the targets and get a minimum score of one-fifty, you get a prize."

Rivalz rubbed his hands and grinned in anticipation when he saw a prize that caught his eye. He always wanted to get Milly a cute and cuddly, and the teddy bear was the answer. He figured that winning the stuffed toy and offering it to the young woman would be a good start in possibly dating her. His smile brightened even more at the chance that it would help him in winning her heart.

"How many points for that?"

"Two hundred and fifty."

"I'll try it out!" Rivalz said excitedly, giving the bill to the man.

"Good luck, lad," the man challenged, adjusted his cap. Brimming with confidence, Rivalz picked up the rifle and began shooting the moving targets, attempting to pick away at them. But as the gallery moved on to other targets, the higher-value boards shifted back and forth. Their rapid movements made it difficult to hit, so he tried to aim and hit to no avail. He only managed to scrape up a hundred points, and lowered his head in disappointment.

"Can I try?" Kallen asked, offering one five-pound bill to the worker.

"Sure, miss," the man said, graciously accepting the money. By then the Guren pilot took her aim and struck a bullseye through each of the targets in rapid succession. The last few targets shifted left and right, while another batch moved up and down. She leveled her sights and took her time. All of the other students gasped in amazement at the accuracy and precision in which she took her shots.

"You're actually quite the crackshot, Kallen," Milly complemented. The redhead was flattered by her friend's remark.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" Rivalz asked, his jaws dropped in disbelief.

The redhead lowered her weapon and explained to them: "My father actually went hunting from time to time, so he would often bring me alongside and teach me how to shoot."

"He must've been a good teacher!" Shirley exclaimed, to which Kallen nodded in response. Her explanation was something of a half-lie. She received most of her training during her time in the resistance. Her longtime proficiency in pistols and other weapons while serving as a member of the resistance made her something of a deadly marksman. She then thought back not only to her father, but her brother as well, who taught her the tricks of the trade when he himself was a member before she joined.

"Kallen? Are you alright?" Shirley asked with concern.

"Wha –?"

"You won!" the auburn-haired girl pointed while chuckling.

"I did?"

"Look, silly!"

The man who worked at the stand chimed in to support Shirley's claim. "You were daydreaming there for a second. Suffice to say you're a good shot, lass."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," the redhead answered.

"So, what would you like?"

"I'll take the teddy bear," Kallen answered bashfully. The man nodded and took the teddy bear that hung over the ceiling and offered it to her. She in turn took the stuffed bear and offered it to Rivalz, whose jaws still remained open.

"I believe you wanted this?" the redhead said with a giggle.

Rivalz closed his mouth and accepted the gift graciously. "Uh, thanks..."

Elsewhere from where the student council stood, Lelouch crept around the corner and observed another man in the coveralls moving as though nothing was wrong. The vice president kept his eyes peeled to study the patterns in which these agents were spying on him, trying to find a weakness within their net. He figured this would happen at some point during the night, and was grateful that Kirihara was generous enough to provide bribed Britannian hitmen to take down his enemies should they pursue him to the festival.

_Whoever's trying to keep tabs on me must've bugged this location before we arrived._

He heard the rustling of grass just several feet away from his position. It was none other than one of the hirelings which Taizo sent over to assist Lelouch, who donned a suit (which didn't help make him look any less conspicuous). The ex-prince used the shadows to cover himself in darkness as he walked forth quietly to the unsuspecting individual, who was taking a smoke break away from the crowd.

The attempted to flick a match that he had on hand to no avail, cursing to himself. "Dammit."

"Need a light?" Lelouch offered, extending his hand as the lighter's flame flickered.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good," the ex-prince grinned before he used his power again. "Now freeze."

The man stood still in his place as Lelouch kept him under the gaze of his Geass. "See that man over there?"

"Yes."

"I need you to find out why he's been following me. Call your friends and have them search for any other person that are donning the same type of coveralls that these men are wearing. You are to forget that you ever saw me once this conversation is over."

All Lelouch received was a nod, and the man did as he was told.  
_ _ _

Several minutes passed while Faulkner continued his search for the target. He was thankful he didn't have to pull his weapon. For past fifteen minutes he kept himself out of sight, careful not to kill any of the guards despite his training. As he moved close against one of the stalls, he noticed a man wearing a suit with his gun lowered. The Splinter Cell suspected that the hitman/bodyguard was looking for him.

Seeing his opportunity, Faulkner moved in and locked his arms around the guard's neck. He tightened the lock to constrict the flow of air before rendering him unconscious and dragging the limp body back into the shadows of the nearby forest. As he laid the body down, he searched the pockets and founded a line of wire running towards the earpiece. He fished a cellphone out of the man's pocket and listened in on the enemy's conversation.

"Spread out, these guys have got to be around here somewhere..." one of the guards radioed out.

Taking the cell with him, he radioed in to warn the team of the new danger. "Commander, it looks like the guards are aware of what we're up to."

"Stay sharp. Remember: non-lethal force."

"Copy that," the Splinter Cell answered until he spotted the student council walking by. They couldn't see him, but he could see them perfectly. As he kept his distance, Faulkner adjusted his cap and had his eyes trained on the leaders of the Ashford student body. The veteran agent fished out a sticky cam and situated it against a pole where it had optimal coverage and provided a clear picture of where the teenagers. Lelouch stood right out in the open.

Faulkner held his PDA and zoomed in closer to the Britannian's face to ensure that it was the right boy. The shadows from the roofs of the stalls overhead provided good cover from the crowd,

"Subject spotted. I'm about forty meters away from his position. He's with his friends, heading towards the ferris wheel."

Spike praised the senior agent for his diligence. "Good. Keep him within your sights. We need to find a way to isolate him from his classmates without the security guards or the private detail noticing."

Faulkner perked his head up when he saw two crowds intersecting with each other, blocking his view of the student council from across his vantage point.

"Shit, I lost him. There's people in the way," Faulkner called out. "Watts, Lewis, where are you?"

"We're both on the northeast of the carnival," Watts answered.

"Move to the east. I need some extra set of eyes to keep track of his movements."

"Copy," the other agents replied.

"Hang on, I think I have an idea," Faulkner radioed. "Chen, can you triangulate the signal from Lamperouge's cell phone?"

"Hold on," the analyst announced. "Got it. He's in the center of the carnival. Satellite's picking several heat sigs bunched together around his location. Probably the other students."

"See if you can send a false call."

"Working on it right now, Agent Faulkner."

Faulker hated waiting, but it was what he did. If his plan worked as it did, he would've given the NSA team a huge break, and Spike would get all the answers he wanted out of Lamperouge.  
_ _ _

Lelouch settled himself on one of the benches so that he could have a moment alone before he joined back with the student council. The use of his Geass over several of his victims has put a slight toll on his mind. He figured a little bit of rest would help him to recuperate before he got back into the swing of things. Shirley noticed his tired look and sat alongside him.

"Are you alright."

"I'm okay, I'm just tired is all..."

"Hmm, I'm glad you came along with us, Lulu," Shirley said as she leaned her head across his shoulder while they sat on one of the benches. The student vice president was happy about the fact he didn't need to use his Geass on her, though he understood that the illusion of happiness couldn't last forever. It would just be a matter of time before she discovered the truth of her father's for herself. He prayed that the moment would never come to pass. His state of mind was interrupted by the ring from his cell.

"Lelouch Lamperouge?" called a voice, deep and authoritative. The ex-prince noticed that it was digitized to prevent any form of recognition. Which meant that it was someone from an agency that was out looking to capture or kill him.

"Move to the lamp posts, alone," the person commanded him.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, you will die. Along with your friends. Choose wisely."

Lelouch froze and widened his eyes in alarm. Was there a sniper nearby? Where were the guards that Kirihara had hired to protect him? How did the enemy manage to elude them so easily? What he knew now was that he needed to get away in order to ensure the safety of everyone within the group.

"What do you want?"

"Just move to the area east of your location. There is a line of lampposts you can follow which will lead you straight where you need to be."

"What's wrong, Lulu?" Shirley asked.

"Nothing, I have to take this phone call. I'll be right back."

Walking towards a street lamp where he would be alone, the black-haired Britannian fished out his cellular phone and checked his caller ID. The incoming call was listed as an unknown, with a series of random numbers that he couldn't make out. He didn't have the necessary equipment on hand to trace back the call, and his curiosity got the better of him.

"Hello? Are you still there?" Lelouch said. There was nothing he could hear in the phone but dead air. He realized too late that he was set up and walked straight into a black zone, where his transmissions couldn't reach anybody. The young lad felt something hard strike him in the back, knocking him unconscious.

Seconds passed and everything turned into a blur. The person who took down the former prince bounded his hands in plastic links behind his back so that he could not move them. The same was done for his legs in case Lelouch thought of trying to escape.

"Target's neutralized," a male voice called.

"Good, bring him to the van so we can interrogate him." another man called from a radio.

"Understood. Be seeing you at the rendezvous point."  
_ _ _

While the festival continued, Shirley went to the location where Lelouch indicated he would be. The lampposts around the spot provided only moderate illumination, which made it difficult to see what was around the light save for the area which the post covered.

"Lulu?"

She looked around searching for her date to no avail. She took cautious steps before she saw something blinking on the ground. Her head swiveled left and right to find no other person in sight. Curious, she walked forth to find what appeared to be a small device on the pebble road, which was none other than a cell phone.

"Oh no..." Shirley said in a panicked state. She dug into her purse and picked up her cell phone, dialing 911 while holding Lelouch's cellular, wondering where in blazes he went off to. At that point, she could only assume the worst.  
_ _ _

**En route to unknown location**

Lelouch awoke to find that the world around him was all black. He realized much to his horror that his face was shielded by a wool bag. With his left eye shielded, he would be unable to use his Geass power on his captors, which led him to assume that they knew about his power. If they were working for the Britannians, it meant that Cornelia's forces had him in their grasp.

_Or is it the faction that's been hunting me for the past few weeks_? he thought to himself. Lelouch shifted his weight until he felt something flat behind his back. He figured it to be a flat surface and leaned against it while using his legs to prop himself up. His ears perked slightly as he overheard rumbling in the background, gradually shaking his body.

The lack of air circulation made it difficult to breathe through the bag. It covered the entirety of his head, which made it impossible for him to shake off unless his kidnappers took it off for him. He considered that possibility to be unlikely, and was unsure of their motives.

"Where am I?"

One voice answered: "You'll find out soon enough."

"Who are you people?" Lelouch yelled, his voice muffled under the mask.

"You and I are going to have a little chat, kid."

"What do you want with me? If it's money that you need -"

"I don't care about money. You're here because you have something I want."

"Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"If you don't answer my questions, you're going feel like you're in hell for a long time before I'm done with you."  
_ _ _

**Dangreal Plains  
Tokyo Settlement**

From the edge of a nearby grassy hill C.C. watched with interest over the van which she knew had Lelouch in it. She donned her ally's red jacket and wore leather pants to accompany her 'commoner' outlook. Her psionic link with the ex-prince's mind allowed her to track him from afar, which would allow her to find wherever he's being taken to. She can only speculate that the captors want him for vital information. The immortal girl also considered the possibility that the kidnappers suspect that he is the leader of the Black Knights. Whether they knew for sure, she was uncertain. What she was sure about was that she was not going to let the boy off easy, and intended to track him down to the ends of the Earth.

_We are partners. I'm not willing to let you go until our contract is fulfilled_...

The witch spun back and walked towards a motorcycle that she hid next the road, which she acquired with one of Lelouch's credit card. She chuckled softly as she never thought that her freeloading off the ex-prince would eventually lead her to pursue him. She picked up the helmet from the bike and inspected the back compartment to make sure that her cargo was with her. After she finished her check, she donned her helmet and mounted onto the motorcycle. She had a little experience in riding motor vehicles prior to her encounter with Lelouch, which helped her get to the festival before her comrade was taken.

Her link with Lelouch enabled her to follow the trail in which the vehicle drove to whatever the destination was. C.C. lowered her helmet's visor and leaned forward as she revved the bike up. The roar of the engine rung loudly and within a few clicks was ready to go. She hit the accelerator pedal and moved forward as the motorcycle rode off into the night.

**End of Chapter 31**

* * *

****

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, folks. After I got out to Japan my ship's pretty much deployed just days after I arrived. Thankfully we're back in port and I have some free time on my hands. What better way to utilize it than to entertain the crowd, eh?

Unfortunately I'll be heading out to sea again soon. Thank you all for your patience and have a great day (or night, depending on where you are).


	39. Interlude: Arkeville

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language.**

**A look into Arkeville's future plans for Area 11.**

* * *

****

Interlude 

So many years have passed since I first came into contact with the individual who granted me the knowledge which I still possess today. Forbidden knowledge that was meant to be locked away, never to be opened or used by the likes of us humans. Alas, curiosity got the best of me, and now I have the potential to overthrow Megatron's lordship over the Decepticons. This being was once a member of the brute's inner circle, so it would only be fitting that he would be de-throned by one his own.

I have been tapping into its database for quite some time. With every passing day I am becoming more like it, as if my conscious is growing tenfold. My human side is slowly being replaced by biomechanical circuitry, the same kind which composes the very entity that I have harvested a massive fraction of my newfound expertise.

Ever since the arrival of the Autobots the situation has turned more... complicated than originally forseen. Megatron slowly grows impatient on the timetable for the production of more of the Insecticons' Swarmers. Already he has set up more Seeker clone squadrons to initiate a pre-emptive strike against the Europeans in North Africa. If all goes according to plan, then the EU would declare war on Britannia and engage the imperialists stationed nearby. The infighting between the two armies would weaken them both, strengthening our position within the region.

All that the entity has planned is set in motion. For now the Insecticons' loyalty is secured. Though I'll need Starscream's assistance in this matter, despite his erratic nature to turn on his allies if it suits his agenda. Chances are he will want something from me and my ally in exchange for his help.

As for Spike well... he's a different story. The man's persistent, much like his father. I always knew that he'd pursue me no matter what, because I had a history in turning the test subjects into living weapons, even for the sake of our country. What he sees as horrors, I see as a pinnacle of achievement for science and the future. If only the leadership of the Agency back home had such fortitude, I would've never gotten this far. I know full well that the government's going to try and attempt to kill or capture me, but I got them well under my thumb. Spike whatever the hell he wants to take my operation down; pity he's not going to be able to do a damned thing to stop what I'm going to do.

- Thomas Arkeville, leading contractor of Lukas International

Author's Note: I never got around to figuring out voice talent for the majority of characters in the story, save for a few such as Peter Cullen as Prime and Corey Burton as Megatron (which has a somewhat chilling. In this universe, the good choice for Arkeville would be none other than Michael Ironside. The characters that he voiced are tough and ruthless. While he is well known for the voice of Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell series, he also voiced Darkseid from the Superman animated series.

Hopefully I'll get another main cast list that'll show profiles as well as what I believe would be good voice talent behind these personalities.


	40. Chapter 32 The Deal

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**The auction for the sakuradite rods commences, as several parties compete in obtaining the material for themselves.**

* * *

****

Chapter 32 - The Deal

Chu Mai District  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation

It was five o'clock in the evening on the outskirts of the metropolis. The limo that carried the Four Holy Swords and Tohdoh came to a halt in front of an abandoned hangar bay. As for the facility, it was connected to an airstrip that was used by members of the Triads and other individuals from special interest groups that would visit on a preset schedule. This occasion was no different, since many factions from the conquered areas would come to purchase what is highly sought technology by all: the sakuradite implosion module; the same kind which was used back at the Battle of Narita.

For Tohdoh and his team, it was a week and a half's journey towards the city by cargo ship. The Holy Swords endured heavy weather and lightning along with the crew, who were derived of different ethnicities: Chinese, Thai, Malaysians, and Koreans. All of them were subjects that fell under the Empress' and High Eunuchs' rule.

The Japanese remained alert of their surroundings. Without their Knightmares, they felt vulnerable. They thanked their ancestors that the Britannians did not pursue them across the Atlantic. The distractions which the imperial government had back home in Tokyo and all around Japan was more than enough to keep Cornelia and her armies at bay. When the five officers exited the vehicle, one blond woman in a white lab coat stood tall. She had a pipe that hung from her lips as fumes billowed from the end. The lieutenant colonel recognized her as the woman who contributed much of her technical expertise in the development of Knightmare Frames utilized by the different Japanese factions.

"Ms. Chawla, I assume?" Tohdoh inquired.

"A pleasure to meet you, Colonel," the blonde Indian scientist said in Japanese as she bowed in respect.

The stern-looking leader of the Four Holy Swords returned her bow with his own. "I see you are acquainted with our language and our customs."

"Seeing as how I interact with your people on a fairly semi-regular basis it is only natural for me to do so," Rakshata answered. "And it looks like the others have arrived."

From the entrance of the hangar bay a pair of younger Japanese stepped forth. One had a large black mane with a red band around his forehead, wearing a black-silver uniform with a leather jacket. A woman with dark-blue hair and a uniform of similar material. Both individuals' eyes widened at the sight of the lieutenant colonel, who is renowned for his prowess against the Britannians during the war prior to pre-colonization. Tohdoh suspected that the pair did not anticipate for him and his team to be present.

"Colonel Tohdoh! It's an honor to meet you, sir!"

"You must be Ohgi. I assume Zero sent you here?"

"Then came to this place for the same purpose," the lieutenant colonel said, the Black Knights' second-in-command nodded in response.

"This way, please," the female Indian gestured to the visitors. All of the Japanese followed her down into hangar bay where they stopped at a checkpoint with several armed guards, all of them armed with assault rifles and SMGs. The leader of the guards stepped forth and said with an even voice: "All parties are required to hand their weapons prior to the auction."

All four of the Holy Swords recoiled in disgust at the Chinaman's demand, with Senba stepping forth to speak on their behalf.

"Out of the question!" the older captain barked loudly.

Tohdoh raised his hand and motioned for Urabe to stop himself. "Calm yourselves and do as they say for now."

Each of the five officers, including Tohdoh, surrendered their swords to the Triads. They expected treachery but saw nothing of the sort. The fact that they gave their weapons felt like their souls were being stolen. All members of the elite Japanese squad held their heads high with pride. As much as he distrusted the Chinese, he opted to put a little bit of faith in their ability to at least keep the peace until the auction is over.

Moments later another group came amongst them, with a Caucasian woman carrying a silver briefcase. She and her male cohort possessed bookish looks, with a sense of style that adhered more towards Western culture. Chiba sensed an odd aura around this particular pair. She noticed afterward that they were accompanied by a member of the Triads who was slightly bigger than Tohdoh and had an imposing presence amidst the crowd.

"Ah, Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh. An honor to meet you, sir," the Chinaman said, bowing in respect. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I am Fei-Wong Yu, a businessman working on behalf of the Triads here in Hong Kong."

The JLF senior officer said nothing and bowed in return, leaving Senba to step in his place. "What are these foreigners doing here?"

"Why, conducting business like the rest of you, Captain," Yu replied. The woman took off her glasses and stepped forth to Tohdoh's subordinate, offering a bow as a gesture of peace. "We did not come here to fight. We're here on behalf of Lukas International."

"Who are you?" Asahina asked.

"Gloria Finch. I do inventory assets for my company."

Chiba stepped forth with a menacing glare, distrustful of the Caucasian woman. The brown-haired Japanese female, much like her male comrades, possessed an astute awareness of the company name and their reputation regarding worldly affairs.

"Have you come so that you could purchase this technology for your current clients and allow them to decimate us as they always have?"

The Caucasian woman countered the female officer sharply: "We represent no other interests but our own. The Britannian military happens to be one of our most prominent customers. Whoever lives or dies is not our concern."

"You insolent wretch!"

"Senba! Now is not the time!" Tohdoh said.

Yu stepped in to mediate and calm everyone from getting into a fistfight. "Everyone, please. At least save the killing for another time. We are all here to conduct business, are we not?"

All of the JLF officers followed Rakshata to the auction. Ohgi watched as Chiba and Finch exchanged glares at each other before the Holy Swords went downstairs. Inoue in turn shot a suspicious look at the Caucasian woman and her compatriot as well. Only Tohdoh and Ohgi remained from their respective groups, with the latter making his way towards where the rest of the group entered.

Tohdoh glanced at Ohgi, which indicated to the latter that it was okay to move on. The Black Knight did so, leaving the lieutenant colonel with the Britannian customers. He walked towards the pair and said calmly:

"It would seem that you are safe here. But know this: there are plenty of Japanese here and less of you. If you intend to leave here, I suggest you consider your options carefully."

All Finch and her companion did was nod.

Several parties that arrived within the last hour were gathered underground beneath the hangar bay. Many of them were representatives of different terrorist groups (or freedom fighters as they would call themselves) from conquered areas around the world. Japanese, Iraqi, Israeli, and people of other ethnic backgrounds all came with the same purpose: to purchase a weapon of destructive potential that would allow them to strike back at their enemies. While all of them share a similar hatred towards the Holy Empire for robbing them of their lands and their freedoms, only one would be able to win the prize of which they had sought.

Marissa searched for an empty chair within the room and seated herself upon it. After nearly being assaulted by JLF officers she could use the break. She was somewhat relieved at hearing the voice of Nightbeat, who had visual access via a mini-cam installed inside of her glasses.

"Nice work back there, Marissa."

"It isn't over yet..." she whispered back to her comm piece embedded in her necklace.

"I know. Now the real challenge begins," Nightbeat said. "Once we've secured the rods, we'll have our 'buddies' loan us a transport so that we can ferry the cargo safely to the exfiltration point."

The field runner adjusted her glasses. "Do we expect any trouble along the way?"

"Hopefully not. But, in the event that trouble _does_ occur we'll be having a few friends to help us out. In the meantime you and Chip just keep doing what you're doing."

"Somehow I have the feeling that what we're doing right now won't be enough to help us at the moment," Chip choked nervously.

"We'll be fine," Marissa assured him, patting the analyst on the back. She observed the members of the world's different terrorist groups taking seats that were available throughout the auditorium. The field runner prayed that Nightbeat's plan to purchase, or else they would have to actually steal the rods to remove them as an asset to the other factions attempting to gain them. The approximate value of each rod amounted to eight million pounds of imperial currency each for the ten that were being auctioned.

Since there were more than several buyers waiting to get their treasure, Marissa needed a plan B in the event that the purchase didn't go well. Nightbeat mentioned about having contacted the fleet to have troops ready to launch a surprise attack and take the sakuradite rods through theft. Optimus didn't like the option but felt it necessary to keep it from the wrong hands.

She was playing a risky game, and had to keep her eyes and ears open to see just exactly how far all of the terrorists involved were willing to bid on these particular weapons. Even with all the money the Americans had on hand, the desperation of each terror group within their respective homelands was more than enough to make them slightly tense. All eyes focused on the woman who took center stage behind the dais.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen... as you all are here today with a common purpose," Chawla began. Here we have on the market one of the most valuable energy sources ever known by mankind. It is only in recent decades that we have learned how to truly harness its near-limitless potential."

"Thank you, Dr. Chawla. In addition to her earlier statement, you all share hatred towards a common enemy," Chuan said as he paused before he continued with a louder tone. "The very same one which conquered and taken your homes away from you! That enemy is a threat that must be eliminated, regardless of the consequences. There can be no peace as long as the Britannians remain in power. While we will sell what we have to you, only one group will be able to take the prize that have herein. Behold: the energy of the sakuradite rod as you will see shortly."

Chuan had one of the men lowered a large projection screen. From there the video of the Guren Mark II replayed as it placed its gauntlet over the cylinder before discharging it. Several frames were skipped towards the segment in which the mountain collapsed upon the JLF and Britannian forces. Many of the viewers were awed by the deadly power displayed before them.  
_ _ _

Chiba kept her silence as she sat alongside the colonel when the revelation came that the Black Knights were the people that used the rod that collapsed the mountain atop the Britannians as well as their own forces. She looked at Ohgi and Inoue, who sat opposite of the row in which the Holy Swords were seated.

Tohdoh studied the junior officer and knew the rage that seethed within her heart. In spite of his nature to distrust, he looked at the two Black Knights and wondered if these youngsters were as murderous as seen on the video. From his personal observation he knew they possessed hard exteriors, and not so different in terms of disposition from the troops that he commanded. They were willing to follow Zero until death.

He could already see the looks in all of his subordinates, wanting to exact their vengeance upon the vigilante's lieutenants. While the colonel shared their sentiments in regards to their current outlook over the Black Knights, the wiser part of him prevailed. Part of him actually hoped that in the event the JLF couldn't get the weapons, then Zero's people would obtain them. All watched in silence as Chuan continued on with his speech.  
_ _ _

**Hangar Bay  
Command Ship **_**Trion**_

Ironhide leaned against the monitor console and watched the camera from Marissa's necklace with as the auction commenced. He studied the view as it angled towards the short Chinese man in the center stage. The reception from Marissa's glasses was clear, giving the veteran a good view of what was happening at the auction.

"Computer, adjust volume level by twenty percent."

"- Here we have on sale a very powerful device, which, in the right hands is can cause severe damage to anything within fifty miles. You have seen it during the battle of Narita as it was used by the Black Knights. That is just a demonstration of what this instrument is capable of. Imagine the strategic application in which dozens of these were placed throughout the Britannian cities."

_Exactly what the 'Cons want, _Ironhide frowned. He heard metallic footsteps clamoring from behind him, and realized that it was none other than Optimus Prime. The security officer kept his optics focused on the screen in front of him, feeling slightly anxious for some action.

"Status?" Prime asked.

"So far so good. Marissa, Nightbeat and Chip aren't expecting anything to happen. At least, not yet."

"And what "

"Yeah. I have a gut feeling that if Marissa and Chip actually do manage to buy off the rods, they're not going to get off easy."

Optimus crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. Based on the historical records that he studied during the fleet's stay near Earth, he discovered that the distrust between the Japanese and the Britannians, fueled by hatred against the latter for the takeover of Japan, taught the Asiatic people that the only way the empire could be stopped was through systematic violence.

"Have an assault team prepped in case the other contenders decide to do anything brash."

Ironhide smiled and clapped his hands together. "Already done, Prime. I'll be tagging along with them once Nightbeat gives the go."

Prime gave a nod of approval. He trusted Ironhide to command the unit below alongside Nightbeat if the situation escalated to anything beyond what was happening at the current time. He uncrossed his arms and strode his way out before he stopped himself at the entry door. The Autobot commander lolled his head to the side while his optics glowed a little more brightly.

"Keep me posted. I'll be monitoring the situation from the bridge."

"Will do."

**Auction Site  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation **

"We will now commence with the auction at the initial price of fifty thousand pounds," Chuan said. He stated that as the initial baseline in which the competing parties would bid the amount in which they would pay for their weapons. The stakes rose as the amount gradually pooled over time. Every word uttered by each group was like a missile. One minute the declaration of each bid rise was level before the Israeli Coalition called out a climb towards the upper millions. By then it all came down to the Lukas International Employees and the Japan Liberation Front.

"Seventy million pounds," Chiba said.

"Eighty million," Finch bellowed. Everyone in the room remained silent, leaving the remaining two parties to make their declarations. Some sweated at the prospect of the Britannians actually winning the highly sought devices. Such an outcome was undesirable, since those born from the imperialist nation could not be trusted.

"Eighty-eight million pounds," Senba called out.

"Ninety million pounds," Finch declared with finality. She stood and adjusted her glasses, leveling her gaze with the people around the dais. All of the other customers gasped at the amount in which the Britannians were willing to spend in order to acquire what they believed was theirs. All possibility of gaining the rods from the mercenary agents proved to be fruitless.

"Sold for ninety million pounds total," the Chinese host declared, striking the gavel on top of the dais.

"What? This is absurd! You're just going to let these foreigners take what is rightfully ours?" one of the Israelis bellowed in protest. Others raised their arms and joined him in anger. Members of the JLF and the Black Knights remained impassive as the spectacle before them escalated into an all-out frenzy. The Israeli Coalition and other Middle Eastern groups rose to charge at the Lukas International workers.

"Stay where you are!" the guard instructed him. The man refused to obey the command and rushed towards the two Britannians that were attempting to move under the protection of the guards. He was gunned down by one of the Triads before he managed to even reach ten feet of the pair. The man's body laid limp on the floor, with blood pooling around his corpse.

"What have you done?" one of the Middle Eastern customers bellowed.

"Your friend didn't behave himself. Unfortunate as that may be, he violated the terms of conduct when he came running for those two. It would be wise to cease now lest you share the same fate as he."

After the hooded man heard the words he stood down. All of the other like-minded terrorists kept themselves in check as well lest they be shot. Four of the Triads threw a blanket around the bloodied man so that he could be disposed of later on. When the chaos ceased, Chuan made his final declaration.

"This concludes the auction, ladies and gentlemen."

Gloria Finch and her associate moved towards their sponsor to discuss the arrangements in which the rods would be transported. They tried to keep themselves as composed as possible, so that they could conclude their transaction with the sellers and make due with the merchandise. By then everyone departed save for those involved in taking the payments and handling transportation of the materials. Soon the Triads were going to be very rich.  
_ _ _

**Chinese Federation Long Dan Fortress  
Hong Kong Inner City District**

Lui Hon, chief liaison for the High Eunichs of the Federation forces stationed in Hong Kong sat behind his desk looking over status reports of the distribution of troops stationed throughout the region. Most of the army residing throughout the city were placed on standby in the event that the Britannians intended to launch their invasion forces from the west coast of Japan.

What few didn't know was that he was a facsimile created by the Decepticons to act as 'staff' under the auspices of the Chinese. There he would be able to blend in seamlessly and observe operations or gain access to classified information that would give the aliens an edge over their enemies. Hon observed a blinking light on his desk, indicating an incoming call from a satellite phone. He opted to ignore it at first but eventually clicked on a switch that activated a switch that turned on the comm line between himself and the caller. "Yes?"

"It's me. The transaction was completed," the man on the other line said.

"Who won?"

"The Britannians won it."

"Oh?" Hon mused.

"Yes, from a company called Lukas International. Apparently they are not what they seem."

"What do you mean?" Hon asked, his curiosity roused.

"They are spies."

"How do you know of this?"

"One of Arkeville's operatives confirmed that they do not actually work for his company," the man answered. "What do you want us to do about them?"

"Eliminate them. But do so discreetly, Chuan," Hon instructed. Like he, the host of the auction was a facsimile agent put in to sow chaos among the local population. They could not afford to allow the Autobots' lapdogs to take the weapons away from them. While they legitimately 'bought' the weapons, the Triads had no intention of allowing the Americans to leave alive.

"As you wish," Chuan answered, and the line terminated with a click.  
_ _ _

**Garage  
Chu Mai District**

Chip kept his arms crossed as the Triads loaded the rods onto the back of the cargo truck. He attempted to remain firm in spite of being nervous by the fact that he was surrounded by people who were more than willing to take his head off, simply because his appearance associated him with a people that he did not belong to.

Marissa knew that she was messing with fire. She recalled Nightbeat saying that the sakuradite rod possessed enough raw energy which, if accidentally triggered, could blow a huge chunk of Hong Kong into kingdom come.

"Be careful with that cargo! We don't want to go off accidentally."

While the female NSA agent kept watch over the final rod being loaded onto the truck, Tohdoh swung his sword and held it across her throat. "I can see through many deceptions. You are not who you say you are."

"She is a Britannian spy!" one of his fellow officers accused.

_Shit_, she mentally cursed to herself.

"How'd you see through my ruse?" she asked.

"It was quite simple actually. You seem to be lacking the ruthlessness in which your employers are known for. For one: you underestimate the intelligence we have on the company which you claim to work under."

"I told you, I work for the inventory of my company."

"If that were true, then surely we would have heard about your exploits. Do not think you can lie your way out of this."

Both Chip and Marissa maintained their silence. The numbers of the Chinese grew as seconds passed but Tohdoh paid no mind to them. On the other hand, the Four Holy Swords kept their blades sheathed, as they too were caught in a crossfire by the Triads that controlled the facility. All means of escape were cut off.

"And now the question remains, who do you work for?"

Marissa started sweating beads from her forehead. Tohdoh had her by his blade, close enough to slice her by the neck. He was honorable by Japanese standards, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. The group was caught by surprise when a familiar blue flame-patterned Knightmare came crashing through the wall of the hangar bay, his weapon drawn out.

"I'm afraid they can't answer your question, sir. As for me, the name's Nightbeat. And as much as I'd like to stay, I'm afraid we have to bid you all 'adieu'."

"Glad you could make it," Chip sighed with relief.

The reunion with the Autobot detective was cut short when three bulky Chinese Knightmares stood outside the entrance of the hangar. Marissa recognized the configuration of the frog-like machines as Gun-Rus, the mainstay mecha of the Federation army. As the giant machines formed a circle, three of the pilots stepped out with rifles sighted at Marissa's and Chip's heads. "All of you, drop your weapons and remain where you are."

Nightbeat tried to think of something. He couldn't risk firing since the Autobot/American team were outgunned. "Marissa, Chip, take the rods and go!"

"They're taking the merchandise, STOP THEM!" Yu commanded, his face contorted into a fit of rage. Both Chip and Marissa got onboard the truck and attempted to make a break for it. The Triads were pouring into the hangar bay in force.

"DRIVE, FOR GOD'S SAKE DRIVE!" Chip yelled in panic as the Triads' Knightmares activated. Marissa floored the pedal as the small truck accelerated at a fast pace. Nightbeat remained behind and used the crates to shield him from Triad Gun-Rus that emerged from hidden floor panels and blazed away with their arsenals. The chief inspector founded himself to be in for the fight of his life.

**Chinese Federation Long Dan Fortress  
Hong Kong Inner City District**

"Commander, we've got a problem."

"What is it, Captain?"

"Our forces have identified what may possibly be a rogue Knightmare within the city."

"How could such a unit manage to breach our borders in the first place?" the young commander asked in an irate tone.

"We're not even sure how it managed to pass through. Apparently the Triads has it cornered on one of the abandoned airfields just several miles away from base, sir."

Li Xingke had his arms perched behind his back, his eyes closed and his thoughts running at full speed. The troops and the Knightmares contained within the fortress were lined up for combat, ready to deploy in rapid succession to their search for the lone enemy mech that dared to march within Chinese territory. All they needed was an order.

"Contact the Triads and inform them that we will assume custody of their territory. Ready the first squadron to apprehend the intruders. If the Triads attempt to resist, you are authorized to deal with them by any means necessary."

**End of Chapter 32**

* * *

_****_

Author's Note:Hope you all enjoyed Xingke's cameo in the chapter. Right now I'm hard at work on the next couple of chapters, which will eventually escalate to trouble for all involved so hopefully they should come within the next couple of weeks.


	41. Chapter 33 Escape Velocity

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**Hong Kong explodes in a flurry of violence after Nightbeat's team attempts to get out of the city.**

* * *

**Chapter 33 - Escape Velocity**

**Liu Wai District  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation**

Nightbeat reached for his back armory and dispensed an EMP grenade. He depressed the pin and threw it high in the air towards the direction of the Chinese Federation troops. Two stray Knightmares stood in place before the grenade detonated, exploding into a bright flash that disoriented the enemy Knightmares outside of the blast radius. The few that were unfortunate enough to be caught within the explosion spasmed into arcs of electricity until they crashed into the ground.

The Autobot inspector raced towards a safe haven where he could draw enemy fire away from the civilians maintain direct the Knightmares' attention to him. Many of the local residents ran in a state of panic, the entire metropolitan area caught in madness throughout the streets. As soon as he founded his safe spot, he leaned against the corner of a building still under construction. The detective flipped his communicator on.

"Air Raid, this is Nightbeat. Can you hear me?"

At first nothing happened, and the detective assumed the worst. Outgoing communications were being deflected, forcing him to shift frequencies to break through and reach out to his allies. _Dammit, must be trying to jam me_.

"Air Raid, I say again can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Inspector," came the buzzed noise of the Aerialbot pilot. The detective gritted his teeth plates as the Chinese activated their jammers. Artillery fire shelled his position as the very ground around him shook his chassis to the core.

"I'm declaring a Code One emergency. We're searching for a way out of the city but these gangsters are making it difficult. They got Knightmares on hand, too."

"Roger, moving now."

"Hurry, we need you to take the pressure off us as soon as you can."

"I should be there in ten cycles," the lieutenant answered as Nightbeat called his American colleagues.

"Marissa, Chip, where are you?"

"In an alley about a couple of miles away," the field runner answered. "I take it the main route is still congested?"

Nightbeat crooked his head to the side and turned back to his comm link. "Yeah. You'll need to find an alternate route. I'm transmitting coordinates to an exfiltration site where we'll be able to evacuate. I'll do what I can over here to keep the Chinese busy."

"Okay, be meeting you soon."

The detective remained at his position before it was struck by weapons fire. He crashed onto the ground and covered his helmet as additional shells pelted the area around him. Smoke and debris rose from the street, a result of the concerted efforts of the Chinese to prevent him from protecting his colleagues. As he rose, he transformed into vehicle mode and made a run for it, with the Federation in pursuit behind his tail.

_ _ _  
**Shukon Alley  
Hong Kong, Chinese Federation**

"We can't sit here forever," Marissa said, watching as swarms of mecha scoured the streets looking for the Americans and the Autobots.

"I agree, but the Chinese have a _lot_ of their guys out there. What we got here's pretty much equivalent to nuclear," Chip interjected.

"Meaning a stray shot would kill us and everyone else within a thirty-mile radius."

Chip pulled a PDA with maps of the metropolitan area and skimmed through possible routes of escape. He took a stylus and tapped on the screen multiple times, hacking through the Chinese satellite network to get a perspective on the positioning of the Federation's army throughout the city. He went forward through a few more maps before he stopped and clicked on the device with his stylus.

"We can weave through these spots without being seen."

Marissa leaned her head in over the map and studied the contents. She nodded in agreement and shifted gears, being mindful as to not accidentally trigger sakuradite inside the cargo truck. It was a race towards the safe point that she intended to reach.

_ _ _  
**Chinese Federation Airspace  
Bau Mai District, Hong Kong **

Air Raid increased his speed to maximum, going supersonic over the Chinese airspace. He avoided several anti-air missiles aimed to take him down. The Aerialbot countered climbing in altitude, and dispensed chaff to throw the projectiles off course. The missiles fell and detonated harmlessly over the city.

The Aerialbot was thankful it didn't hurt any of the local civilians below, or else his stunt would've earned him a chewing from Silverbolt back on the flagship. The _Trion_ had reinforcements ready to deploy the moment he gives the signal. He needed to find Nightbeat's team and secure the cargo away from enemy hands.

"Nightbeat, where are you now?"

"Downtown! I'm being pursued by hostiles from the south and southeast quadrants!"

"Where's Agent Faireborn and Agent Chase?"

"They should be fine and are en route to the landing site. I need you to head towards me ASAP."

"Okay, I got you on the orbital beacon. Head on a northwest direction towards the avenue, I should be able to meet with you in three cycles."

"Make that faster," the detective demanded. "These humans are getting more relentless for every nanoklik we waste."

"On it," the aerial fighter replied, putting his engines on full burn. Air Raid angled his nose 45-degrees down, and evened out his flight as soon as he was near the rooftops he flied over. From his vantage point he could see a lot of cars and other commercial vehicles from below. He used his internal cameras from the underbelly of his alt-mode to scan for Nightbeat's position before he spotted several of the Chinese Gun-Rus executing a search pattern for the blue flame-patterned Autobot.

An audio alarm suddenly bleeped aloud, as his internal sensors detected several gunships moving overhead to assist in the search for Nightbeat and the two Americans.

_Hmph, never thought that a bunch of terran gangsters would possess that kind of technology, _Air Raid thought to himself before he heard the feminine voice of his on-board computer

"Warning, incoming missiles bearing 073."

_What the -, another volley_?

One of the missiles struck him at his right engine, sending him on a descent to the ground. On his way down three other missiles followed his flight path and blazed after him through the smoke from his engines.

"Air Raid? Air Raid, this is Silverbolt, come in."

"I'm a little busy now, boss," Air Raid bellowed in an irate tone. His aft camera swiveled back as a formation of three modified Chinese MiGs moved in on an intercept course toward him. Now that the entire Federation military was on alert for Air Raid, he had to use whatever trickery he had up his sleeve to survive. He transformed mid-flight and used his foot thrusters to ease his freefall into the ground.

The Aerialbot lieutenant scanned the ground with his optics and spotted his ally. His feet touched onto the ground, breaking the tarred streets from below and spewing debris. He spun out of control momentarily before he crashed into a lamp post. The object stopped him in his place, allowing the flyer a moment to recover himself. When Air Raid came to, he rushed forth to Nightbeat's aid. The Triad mecha that pursued the detective withdrew from the fight as the military's numbers increased.

Air Raid scoffed at the inspector. "Same as ever. You have a penchant for bringing trouble everywhere you go, Nightbeat."

A squad of Federation-owned Gun-Rus surrounded the pair of Autobot soldiers with a squadron of Federation gunships covering the skies. For every minute that passed the numbers of the Chinese steadily increased. All paths of escape were cut off as he encirclement closed around them. Nightbeat played whatever hands he was dealt, and he was on the losing end.

"Touché," the Autobot detective replied, his photon rifle still locked inside his back armory. He didn't want to risk a firefight amidst the civilian population. The inspector had a growing suspicion that someone may have tipped them off about his team making their getaway with their prize.

"Lay down your weapons at once!" one of the Federation officers commanded.

Both Air Raid and Nightbeat stood back to back before a more human-looking Knightmare appeared from the sky. It had a black visor with blue armor, with some kind of flight mechanism attached to its back that kept it in the air. The detective studied it for a moment and noticed some of the resemblances of other mechs to the Knightmare database that he studied upon arrival in Tokyo. The Knightmare had some kind of adornment that hung above the horn of its head. He wasn't sure what it was for, but figured that it sure as hell it wasn't for decoration.

"Kinda funny. I never would've thought the military to mobilize that quickly," Nightbeat said.

"Considering your 'covert' operation went down the drain, I'd say they managed to respond pretty fast," Air Raid quipped.

"Intruders, I am Li Xingke, commander of the Federation forces here in Hong Kong. You are in violation of Chinese territory. Surrender yourselves now and we may grant you leniency. Refuse, and you shall suffer the consequences. The choice is yours."

The arrogance of the humans threw Air Raid in a fit. He was ready to give the humans a taste of his fists before he heard the sound of drop pods coming from the sky. The single-bot troop carriers dispersed into several pieces and burned as the allied reinforcements made their way into the ground. A team of Aerialbot units also deployed to handle the MiGs and gunships that controlled the skies and clear a path.

Remnants of the pods could be seen falling from the air, with distinct silhouettes searing through the blockade with ease. The sudden arrival of the inbound contacts caught the Chinese by surprise, forcing them to re-arrange themselves and prepare for whatever may happen next. Both Air Raid and Nightbeat took a momentary glance upwards and smiled as their saviors braced themselves. Within seconds they crashed, the impact of their landing sending debris and smoke upward beneath their feet.

Ironhide, Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Ratchet, Warpath and Brawn emerged from the fumes, weapons loaded to bear. Cliffjumper and Bumblebee moved in from behind with two squads of additional soldiers to help even out the odds. All of them itched for combat against the Federation forces.

"Well well well, the cavalry has arrived! Glad you bots could make it!" Air Raid shot with a stupid-looking grin.

"Get your head in the game, kid! Let's take these guys down,"

"Looks like we have inbound enemies from overhead!"

Ironhide turned to the group and called out: "Smokescreen, bring it!"

Dispensing canisters from his thighs, the diversionary specialist tossed the cylindrical devices that gave off black fumes, providing a screen that prevented the enemy from seeing them. The clouds filled the streets up to the point where the Chinese forces had to rely on their instruments to find their contacts.

"What's happening? I can't see them!" one of the pilots shouted.

"Maintain formation! Keep on the lookout for –-"

Ironhide tore the arms off the Gun-Ru and picked up the bigger machine before tossing it against a horde of other Knightmares. His action was enough to incite the Autobots into a combat frenzy that made their opponents stagger back. The security officer raised his arms and lanced one forward as the Cybertronians charged against their enemy. "Alright, Autobots, let's see how these humans strut their stuff."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Warpath said as he transformed into tank mode and brought his tank cannon to bear. The barrel of his turret shined brightly under the rays of the sun. Squads of Gun-Rus shifted position while simultaneously firing against the Autobots. Though typically impulsive when engaged in combat, Warpath took his time and aimed his reticle at the nearest Knightmare.

"Just shoot already!" Ironhide howled.

"KAPOW!" Warpath beamed with enthusiasm, firing his cannon as it recoiled slightly. The carnage of battle was more than enough to motivate him to shoot another one of his EMP rounds towards the swathe of Gun-Ru Knightmares strafing towards the team's direction. One of the blasts struck a blow, connecting to one of the Chinese mechs as it crashed down lifelessly onto the street.

"Looks like we're fighting the whole city," Ironhide shouted through the gunfire. "Smokescreen, Bluestreak, set up a choke point so we can take down these scrapheaps!"

Both of the other Autobots nodded and moved from building to building, taking cover from enemy weapons fire that ravaged the streets. Smokescreen adjusted his shoulder-mounted launchers and fired a few grenades that rolled in the direction of the enemy troops. Smoke fumed from the dispensed projectiles, providing a screen that would allow the Autobot soldiers to pull back and evacuate to the shuttle as necessary.

Finding their tricks to be nothing more than child's play, Xingke drew the Shen Hu's swords and sliced a path across the air in-between the two Autobot soldiers. His blows struck the red-blue and black-gray colored soldiers. Both of them fell into the ground due to the power of his blades.

The Chinese commander sensed something flying at him before he spun around and lunged towards it. He drew the sword in his mech's right hand back and lodged the blade into the middle of the massive rock before it broke in half. Directly in front of his Knightmare's path was a small but sturdy-looking yellow-green mecha with a silver-domed helmet that glared back at him with its narrow blue eyes.

"To think that you could actually challenge me, I find quite amusing," the commander taunted.

"Yeah, well let's see how you handle the likes of _me_, punk," the red machine growled. It charged at him like a bull and managed to lock its arms around his Knightmare's body. The enemy mecha was caught by surprise when the Shen brought up its arms and swung them towards the base of his neck. It widened its gaze as it felt the impact and crashed onto the ground. Xingke founded it odd that it felt something, which he guessed that these kinds of Knightmares were somehow sensitive to pain?

Ironhide recovered himself and watched helplessly as Xingke engaged Brawn in hand-to-hand combat and defeated him with ease. He recovered himself and picked up his weapon from the ground and aimed it. The security officer fired a few blasts that seared across the Chinese commander's armor. Sparing no minute to waste, the Shen Hu launched back up shortly after the melee was over.

After a few moments, it began emanating a strange light from the orb in its chest. As soon as the bright sphere enlarged, a massive beam of energy lanced from the core of the Knightmare and crashed into the ground. It cut a path along the main road near the outlying zone where the Autobots took cover.

All of the buildings that were caught in the blast disintegrated into nothingness. Any hapless enough to have crossed into the middle of the beam would've been killed and maimed on the spot. As the cannon's flash grew in intensity, it continued to lance its way across towards where Smokescreen and Bluestreak entrenched themselves. They reacted too late as the beam cleaved across like a hot knife through butter.

Bluestreak felt the pain as the blast seared through the metallic skin of his left arm and severed it as the limb crashed into the ground. The Autobot gunner clutched his arm as it bled energon onto the street. It was one of the most painful sensations that he ever experienced through many millennia. "AAAAAAAGH!"

Ironhide rushed forth to the gunner's aid. The security officer leaned his head slightly forward and narrowed his optics. After studying the downed soldier for a moment, he placed his servos on the bot's shoulders to keep him calm. "Hang in there, 'Streak. Ratchet, we need you here now!"

The CMO rushed forth to the pair's aid, extending his medical instruments through his right arm. While composing himself he knelt down next to Bluestreak, who continued to wail his cries of pain. Ratchet brought his scalpels and began working immediately to repair the damaged on the downed soldier's body.

"Easy, kid. I got you," Ratchet said.

Ironhide stood alongside Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. All three of Cybertronians aimed their weapons and let loose to try and knock the Shen Hu out of commission. The Chinese Knightmare moved with speed and elegance that putted the rest of its compatriots to shame. It descended towards the street and flew in a linear path towards the Autobot soldiers. The blades carved the ground below as the Shen Hu closed in and spun its melee weapons to cut them while simultaneously firing slash harkens that caught the mini-bots by their necks, pulling them towards the human leader. He sent a flurry of punches that made both Autobot warriors fall onto the ground.

"I must admit, the technology that you possess is impressive. Perhaps it would be best if I just simply disable you and have my troops bring you in for study," Xingke said.

"It doesn't belong to you," Ironhide countered.

"No matter. I will simply defeat you and your allies. We will learn soon enough just where you came from."

The Shen Hu held tightly onto its swords and retracted its anchors as it hovered above the city.  
Xingke pointed the blade downward towards Ironhide, a precursor that he did not intend to allow the Autobots to leave so easily. As commander of the local Chinese defense forces, it was his prerogative to capture or destroy any and all enemies that threatened the homeland.

"Your transgression ends here, intruder," the Chinese commander declared with finality. He charged and drove the blade near the aged soldier's spark core, which made the Autobot groan slightly in pain before he crashed against the wall.

Dazed, Ironhide shook his head and sat up against the building. He never felt more badly beaten than he has before in his entire life. As experienced as he was, this human was superior in terms of speed and had a near-endless repertoire of fighting techniques.

The security officer figured that he was finished, and prepared himself to meet his fate. Xingke prepared to swing his blade for the final blow before the Shen Hu stopped in midair. Ironhide nudged his head forward as his optics blinked. The Chinese commander's Knightmare continued to hover in the sky above, its body locked into place.

_Did he just stop_?

"Whoa."

Ironhide's vision faded in and out, his energon levels lowering as the skirmish drew on. He felt two pairs of servos dig under his armpits and drag him on the street. Both of them belonged to Autobot soldiers assigned to his command. He looked up and founded it was none other than Brawn and Cliffjumpber, who recovered from the skirmish and rushed towards their craft. Brawn looked at the others waiting at the door and instructed them to move. "Get into the shuttle! Go!"

"Not yet for me!" Warpath said.

He shifted back into tank mode and provided defensive fire that held the Chinese forces at bay. The Gun-Rus tried to take the Autobot warrior down by concentrating their attacks on his armor. Their attempts to break through his metallic skin only motivated him further as he transformed to robot mode and donned his energon hammer. With a swing of his arm, Warpath brought the melee weapon and smashed its gun arms. The barrels of the limbs were bent, rendering them useless before the Autobot tank followed through with a kick that sent the Chinese Knightmare flying in the air. He watched in satisfaction as it crashed into two of its comrades, knocking them down with ease.

In the battle above the ground troops, Air Raid and his squadron engaged the MiGs and gunships that roamed over the skies and downed them without killing the pilots. The Aerialbot lieutenant loosed a volley of EMP missiles that streaked through the air and homed in on their targets. The Chinese jets strafed and banked, pushing themselves to the limit against the Autobot aircraft. Air Raid cutted off his engines and allowed himself to float higher into the air behind the rear of the lead MiG that was pursuing him.

The suddenness of the action caught the flight leader off guard and turned his head. In a reversal of roles, Air Raid turned into the hunter and fired his afterburners as he charged after the enemy MiG. He armed another EMP missile and brought it out from one of his internal weapons bay. The MiG executed different maneuvers to break from the Autobot flyer's lock. Instead, the Cybertronian fighter kept up the chase and followed through until his reticle centered behind the enemy jet. He achieved a target lock and fired, panning his internal camera as the missile streaked after its target. The projectile caught up its victim and damaged the plane's twin engines.

After their leader was downed, all of the other enemy jets swerved towards him. The Aerialbot readied himself to shoot them down. They came at him within twenty meters, much more closer than he intended. What they did afterwards surprised him as they flew past. His optics traced the direction they traveled, which was none other than west where the rest of their comrades retreated.

Air Raid raised his arm and shook it in triumph. "That's right, you better run!"

With the amount of losses the Federation forces were taking the Gun-Rus pulled back. Gunships that were not engaged in combat dropped cables equipped with magnetic clamps that locked on the inert mecha and dragged them up. Slowly the enemy began to withdraw and pull back. Their pursuit of the Autobot forces ceased as the Americans and their compatriots boarded the ship with their intended cargo.

The doors of the shuttle whirred as they closed. Ironhide was leaned against the bulkhead so he could allow himself to recharge. Once everything was set, the chief inspector rushed towards the cockpit.

"Alright, take off!" Nightbeat called to the sub-lieutenant.

"You got it!" Bumblebee said with a thumbs up. The smaller Autobot took the controls pushed the throttle as the engines fired. Smoke fumed from the shuttle as it lifted itself from the ground and launched into the atmosphere, far from the reach of the local Chinese defense forces.  
_ _ _

Everything halted in an instant. The Shen Hu, sensing no input from Xingke's motions changed to auto-pilot. Seeing a splotch of red on the cockpit flooring, the Chinese commander covered his mouth with his right hand as he lunged forward and coughed more blood.

He felt his vision blur and struggled to remain focused on the battle. Radio chatter clamored throughout the speakers within his cockpit. Many of his soldiers asked for instructions while others already attempted to pursue the enemy Knightmares. While they were few, they moved in such a manner that made them seem more than human.

"Commander!"

Xingke coughed more blood into his mouth and stared at it blankly. He could feel the pain surge through his chest. The voices that kept shouting out to him were temporarily phased before he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened the

"Commander, are you alright?" one of his subordinates inquired.

"I'm fine, Captain."

"Do we pursue them?"

"Let them go, for now," he instructed. He watched as the aircraft lifted off into the sky, never to be seen again. Even if the MiGs could pursue them, they were in no position to fight such technologically advanced enemies.

_Who are these people_? he asked himself.  
_ _ _

**Shuttle 4  
En route to the **_**Trion**_

The rods gave off a dim glow as the Autobots secured them in the cargo hold. Brawn ensured that the cylindrical objects were secure due to the sensitive nature of the contents within. The least things that the crew needed was to be blown mid-flight on their way back to the flagship.

"So we finally got it," Ironhide said.

"Yeah, we did. And we nearly got killed for it," Marissa answered.

Nightbeat knelt towards the rod and examined it. "At least they came in time."

Air Raid examined his wings and growled at the damage they took during the escape. He waved it off and joined in on the group's conversation. "That guy that we fought back down there was good. Real good."

"Yeah, Xingke's one of the top guys of China's military, much in the same as Tohdoh from the JLF," Marissa explained. "How he managed to mobilize his troops so quickly startles me."

Chip ran his fingers through his hair, confused as to how what started as a simple snatch and grab escalated into a shootout with an international power. They bought the rods as intended from the Triads until the discovery by both the local thugs and terrorists that were harbored inside of the auction site caught them by surprise. It was sheer luck that the Autobots managed to breach the massive military cordon that nearly overtook them and would've turned them into scrap.

Nightbeat stood and cupped his chin as one answer came to mind. "The only possible explanation is that the Triads were tipped off by somebody from the inside."

"A mole?" Chip asked.

"Yes, possibly a facsimile installed within the Triads or the Chinese government," the detective continued.

Ironhide crossed his arms in response. "What makes you say that?"

"The Chinese would've never mobilized that quickly. Nobody knew who Chip and Marissa were but us. Since the Decepticons have facsimiles and other means of gathering intelligence throughout the world, it's logical that one of them somehow reconized who they were. After all, what better way to steer an organization's operation than from the inside?"

"You got a point there," Bumblebee nodded. All of the other Autobot soldiers that were present narrowed their optics at the revelation. It wasn't exactly new information to them, but it was something that they kept in mind, since the frequency of activity by the Decepticon facsimilies grew when the campaign first started in Shinjuku.

"We need to activiate the Signus protocol," Nightbeat suggested.

"What's the Signus protocol?" Chip asked.

"It's a measure designed to intercept and monitor communications, specifically by facsimile agents. The Investigations Corps and Central Intel Division participated in a joint venture when the war with the Decepticons started to develop the project. At first it never came to pass, since there was a shortage of resources and development came to a halt," the chief inspector explained. "However, when we recovered from the war back on your Earth we managed to pull out the data files pertaining to the project and put it back on track again. As of now we possess the means to locate the facsimilies and neutralize them.

"But we already have that kind of system in place. What makes Signus different from the tech that we're using?" Bumblebee asked.

"Usually the facsimilies communicate through specialized codes. They are similar in function back when your people used the Enigma machine to encode transmissions during your battles against the Japanese. Signus is designed as a countermeasure to break whatever encryptions the Decepticons may be using and backtrack transmissions to their point of origin. We'll have to get it started as soon as we return to the _Trion_."

All of the other Autobots nodded at the detective's suggestion. After a few cycles, they decided to rest themselves in preparation for the return to the flagship. Nightbeat craned his head and smiled in relief, knowing that he, along with Marissa and Chip, gave the expedition a huge break.  
_ _ _

**Hong Kong  
Chinese Federation**

From below, Xingke sat in silence. His mind speculated as towhat exactly these things were. He recalled from intelligence reports gathered by Chinese agents overseas that there were Knightmares capable of transforming at will. Though he originally speculated that the Britannian army were the proprietors of such technology, his intuition told him otherwise.

Federation spies that were stationed in Japan reported rumors of highly-advanced Knightmares were operated by private companies, and bore no affiliation with any terrorist groups or the world's superpowers. Even with the technological prowess of the Britannians, he knew that not even they possessed that level of sophistication. There were new players in the field, and he wanted to find out who or what controlled these Knightmares.

It was then that he remembered the intelligence reports he read weeks earlier concerning the very same machines that fought through many of the different hot spot regions in Japan, from the Shinjuku ghetto to the capital, as well as Narita and Yokosuka. Their heightened activity and recent actions in Federation territory was something that he could not toss aside easily.

**End of Chapter 33**

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Author's Note:Phew, been busy for quite a bit with work, studying for certs, and writing other fics ^_^. I hope you all enjoyed the fight between the Autobots and the Chinese Federation troops, with Xingke's cameo in the chapter. I've been writing with OpenOffice for a while and switched over to Word '03 with this one. I hated the fact that documents created through the OO suite doesn't preserve the format of the ODT files that I usually upload on the site, which puts me in a flustered state when I have to re-input breaks to separate certain paragraphs. So I opted to use something different instead. Since that's the case, I'll probably look over the previous chapters and re-modify them with Word as well to see how well they pan out once they're uploaded to .

In regards to the next chapter, it should be done sometime tomorrow (hopefully). While I'm not going to reveal what exactly will happen, I will say that Lelouch is in for some serious pain. As for the rest of the story, I'm trying to finish it by the end of this year so I can work on the other parts of the trilogy which I have planned for it. I have tons of other projects that I want to work on at the moment, but as the saying goes: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Have a nice day and enjoy your weekend (assuming if you're not working of course). XD


	42. Chapter 34 Searching for the Truth

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated T for violence and language **

**C.C. follows the NSA operatives to their temporary hideout. After Lelouch's disappearance, things take a turn for the worse back at Ashford Academy when Mao's executes his bold plan.  
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**Chapter 34 – Searching for the Truth**

Abandoned Factory  
Outer Rim, Tokyo Settlement

Two days have passed since the NSA finally caught Lelouch Lamperouge for interrogation. The Senkai machine parts facility for commercial vehicles proved to be the most ideal location in which the boy could be questioned without interruption. Spike stood behind a window inside the manager's office where he could see the young boy laying motionlessly on the floor. Very little light was available inside the room, a means of reinforcing the fact that there was no escape.

Spike kept watch over the boy for more than four hours. Not the best way he wanted to spend his time, but he needed to knew for himself if the boy exhibited any unusual behavior. During the trip to the factory,the young teenager maintained that he was innocent from any involvement with the Black Knights and is just a regular student. Years of experience within the CIA showed him that even certain individuals who appeared to exhibit innocence proved otherwise.

On the lieutenant commander's left stood the Splinter Cell operative Faulkner and one other field agent. Faulkner donned his full tactical gear, minus the mask and mono-goggle. The NSA operative took a glance and searched before he diverted his attention back to the individual inside of the interrogation room. He tried to figure out what exactly the Navy veteran was pondering.

"You really believe that kid might know something?"

"I have a hunch. It's better than nothing, Faulkner."

Spike took a moment and studied the senior agent. "You're not comfortable with this."

"No sir, in this case I'm not. If there were terrorists and criminals, I'd beat 'em down any day of the week. But this…" Faulkner said, crossing his arms.

"I appreciate your honesty. But these are desperate times. We need answers and we need them now, if we're ever going to bring Arkeville in."

"What exactly do you have against him?"

Spike closed his eyes and spoke his mind. "My gut's telling me that he's been hiding the truth about himself. The file that I recovered back at city hall is evidence of that. If I'm wrong, then I'll take responsibility for what happened here."

"Do you still want to go through with this?"

The lieutenant commander turned and faced the agent with great certainty. "Yeah. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. In the meantime, I need you to get the others and move out to our next rendezvous point. I'll be joining you soon."

Faulkner uncrossed his arms and left to the other field agents, leaving Spike by himself. The chief liaison slammed the door open, keeping his composure and making sure not to do anything brash. His mind dwelled on the prospect of merely strangling the teenager with his bare hands. But first things first, he wanted to ask what the boy knew. And he would start by strongarming him.

"I hope you're still awake, because we're going to be having a nice little conversation. No interruptions, no lucky saves, just me and you. Let me start by asking what you know about Zero and the Black Knights."

"All the things that I've heard about him and his gang are just from TV and the newspapers, Nothing else," the boy answered. Spike lifted Lelouch by the neck and applied pressure to his throat before smashing the boy back against the wall. He prepared himself for the night, and wanted to wring the truth out of him. Rugged breaths radiated underneath the boy's mask. The chief liaison _knew_ a liar when he saw one, and suspected that Lelouch was playing games to buy more time.

"This is only the beginning of what I'm about to do to you if you don't tell me _exactly_ what I want to know. I want to know how the Black Knights have managed to find our base. I wanna know _why_ they keep interfering with us."

"For crying out loud, I don't know what you're talking about!"

That one lie threw Spike in a fit, and slammed a fist in Lelouch's midsection before he raised him up again.

"I'm going to tell you something: I've been in this business long enough to know that are plenty of lies. Thing is, I've been in it longer than you have. Skillful as you are, there comes a turning point in which a person under pressure has to fold. And you are going to fold eventually. Give me what I want and this stops."

"I don't understand why you're doing this to me. I haven't done anything wrong!"

The SEAL officer craned his head next to Lelouch's ears and spoke with a menacing growl: "You're perspiring a lot, and your hands are sweating. That tells me that you are bullshitting me. You are going to tell me where Zero is, or me smashing you against this wall right here will be the _least_ painful activity of your evening. And trust me, it's going to hurt a lot."  
_ _ _

As the man declared his ultimatum, Lelouch felt himself gag under his captor's iron grip. He needed to get the blindfold off in order to use his Geass. But with his arms and legs bounded by rope, he couldn't break free. And the situation worsened every second he choked.

Then he felt his weight lifted off the ground with ease. The ex-prince knew that the person holding onto him possessed a heavy build and enough anger to smash him into a pulp. He felt something hard and solid smashed against his back again. The procedure changed when he was punched repeatly a few times before he was thrown into the wall, his body crashing onto the ground.

_He's strong!_

"Tell me where Zero is! Tell me and this will all end!"

Lelouch wheezed at the pain, the hurting sensations traveling all over his body. He maintained his silence and tried to keep himself calm. Instead, his fear slowly amplified. Nobody has managed to capture him but this one person. He wasn't sure if he could keep himself from breaking.

"Fine, have it your way! Agent, bring in the interrogation kit with the hyosene pentothol!"

"Sir?"

"DO IT!" the leader commanded.

A moment of silence, and the operative did as his superior ordered him. The anger and the resentment that resonated from the brute's tone was noticeable. Lelouch realized something familiar about it. It took some time before he realized that the voice belonged to the same man who clashed time and again with the Black Knights. Before the pain could go any further, the leader's pain session was interrupted by the voice of another man. It was faint, but Lelouch managed to distinguish between the two voices. The other individual that stepped into the room informed the interrogator about something. Instead his 'host' pressed onward.  
_ _ _

A few moments after Spike received the NSA interrogation kit and pulled out a needle with a liquid capsule. He was ready to inject the hyosene pentothol solution into Lelouch in order to get him to talk. The commander tested the needle to make sure it didn't break off when he would insert it into Lelouch's body. It was cruel, but it needed to be done. A small dabble of the stuff was enough to force the teen into talking.

"I have in my hand hyosene pentothol. It's a drug used by an agency that I work for to force subjects into talking. When it takes effect, it makes it feel like you're drowning. I know because it's been used on me. The only thing that's keeping this going is your silence, and the longer you keep quiet, the more it's gonna hurt."

"Sir, you got a call."

"Can it wait?"

"It's urgent. The Autobot named Jazz is on the line."

Spike shook his head. He walked towards the agent and took the phone from his hand, turning his attention to his subordinate. The commander craned his head and whispered to him: "Wait here and keep an eye on him."

The agent nodded, and Spike brought the cell phone to his head. "Hello?"

"Spike, it's me. I know what's happening down there."

"I'm in the middle of something right now, Jazz."

"You're interrogating Lelouch, right?" the special ops agent asked.

"What of it?"

"It's got to stop, man."

Spike threw his arms up in the air, growing impatient as time passes. "Are you really _that_ naïve, Jazz? Has your time with the students clouded your judgment?"

Spike imagined that his words stung a bit. He needed to give Jazz a good dose of reality. It was a reminder to his colleague that not everything is as it seemed. Even the slightest inkling of suspicion made a person who's associated with a criminal nothing more than a criminal himself.

"This is coming from Prime. We're _telling_ you to stop this."

"Not gonna happen."

The Autobot special ops agent attempted to appeal to his friend's humanity. "Look at yourself! Are you interested in justice or revenge?"

"It's never that simple, Jazz."

"This isn't you!"

"No, it's always been me."

"Spike –-" Jazz uttered before the liaison shut the phone off. The SEAL went back to the room to finish what he started. As soon as Spike reached his destination he noticed the door that contained Lelouch Lamperouge was still ajar. He pulled out his Five-Seven pistol and assumed a tactical stance. Leaning against the wall, he kept the weapon close and walked towards the door, pointing his weapon forward until he saw a body with blood on it.

Upon inspection he realized it was one of the field agents. Two hits in the chest and one in the head. He leaned in a few inches more and studied the body more closely. Whatever lighting that was available outside the space darkened, forcing the officer to turn and find Zero standing right there. He reacted accordingly and brought his weapon to bear.

"HANDS UP!" Spike commanded, raising his silenced Five-Seven and aiming at point blank range. Zero simply stood in place as he turned and raised his arms high in the air. The SEAL took his steps carefully as he made his advance, the vigilante remaining as still as a statue.

"Make a move and you're dead, understand?"

Zero said nothing.

"I said do you unders -"

The liaison stopped and heard multiple clicks that increased in number. Several circular objects rolled onto the floor from the criminal's cape towards the SEAL. Smoke rose from within and hissed as the objects filled the room, enshrouding it entirely in black fumes.

Spike frowned in frustration. "Where did he go?"

"All it takes is one touch…"

The lieutenant commander widened his gaze and reacted too late at the sight

"Now you shall taste face of your own mortality…"

Zero's bare hand came in contact with Spike's arm. Everything the lieutenant commander saw around him came to a halt. He thought he was hallucinating, until he realized that there were dozens of ghosts reaching out to him. Several of them bore their fangs and claws as they sought him out. One of them came in contact with his forearm, and he attempted to shake the wraith off to no avail.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The SEAL froze in place and spasmed onto the ground. His mouth completely agape, Spike's clutched his arms around his body. He had never felt such painful sensations that racked through his body.

_Cold... So... cold... _

"MEDIC! Get a medic over here!"

"What happened?"

"He's gone into shock! We need to stabilize him now!" another agent shouted, the cacophany of voices slowly fading.

Spike felt lost in the sea of bodies that surrounded him. In his mind, all he could see was red and black all around. Cities burned, ashes flew in the air. And out in the distance was the silhouette of a woman in a white dress, who simply stood and watched as the fires took hold and burned everything they touched. Not wanting to stand by and watch any longer, he ran towards her with all the energy he could muster and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, don't just stand there! RUN!"

The shadow possessed long golden hair that brightened amidst the fire. He stopped in his tracks and realized in horror who the person was. Spike stared into the face of a woman that bore a somber complexion.

It was none other than his dead wife.

"Carly?"

In the real world, his mind was locked in a dreamlike-state. The agents that were still present tended to his aid, trying to bring him back on his feet.  
He never got back up.  
_ _ _

**Outside the Factory**

Lelouch recovered from his slumber and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt damp all around his body and examined himself for a moment. After a moment he saw the motorcycle he bought with his credit card a while back. The ex-prince soon got back on his feet to examine the rest of his surroundings.

C.C. gave him a slap to the face. He recoiled at the sudden sting and felt it surge through his cheek. Lelouch widened his eyes and wondered what she struck him for.

"That was for your carelessness," she said.

After a momentary silence, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lelouch widened his gaze as the immortal kissed him hard on the lips. He struggled to break free but felt himself surrender to the softness of her mouth. Time stopped for a moment, and everything around him seemed clear before his mind came back to reality.

"I believe this is the part where you should be grateful."

Lelouch blushed for a moment and rubbed his cheek. "Thanks..."

Both individuals walked together towards the motorcycle, with the ex-prince mounting himself on the bike and his accomplice following suit afterwards.

"I'll drive," he said.

"By all means, lead on," she replied back.

The ex-prince scoffed and donned his motorcycle helmet as C.C. wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt pretty uncomfortable considering that the immortal expressed no other desire to be anything else but his accomplice. It was a relationship he intended to preserve for the days ahead.

Lelouch charged the pedal and allowed the engine to charge. The motorcycle revved up and shook under him. The vigilante leaned his head forward and spun the handle as he drove forth. C.C. tightened her grip so as not to fall off when he increases his speed. She reminsced on the kiss momentarily. In her mind, it was one of the things that she never wanted to do intentionally with him. It was just something that happened out of the blue.

"As soon as he recovers, I intend to kill this man. He's becoming more than a nuisance as time goes on, and he actually managed to _catch_ me!" Lelouch yelled, his voice oozing with rage.

"Be patient, you'll get your payback soon enough. There's danger ahead."

"What do you mean?"

To that C.C. simply gave him a cryptic answer. "All will be revealed in due time."  
_ _ _

**Female Dorms  
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement**

Milly donned her robe after taking a shower. Her mind was clouded with worry over Lelouch's disappearance, as memory of that night at the Tokyo Festival surfaced. The looks on everyone's faces were sullen when they noticed he went missing after he received a phone call. Her train of thought was cut of when she felt a breeze touch her skin. She glanced at the window and saw the curtains nudge slightly.

_Strange, I don't remember opening that_. "Hello?"

A young brown-haired man with a teal jacket stood out from the shadows. He gave her a cold stare that chilled her body to the core. She didn't want to take any chances. The student council member leaned against her desk and propped her fingers behind her, but still remained visible so as not to get the intruder to do anything impulsive.

"Who are you?"

The boy remained silent. Milly felt an aura that seemed completely unnerving to her. She triggered the silent alarm under the desk, signalling the campus security detail that she was being attacked.

"I see you've already met my colleague Rolo."

Rolo muffled the girl's lips with an alcohol-doused cloth. She felt her eyes close droopily, and fought to keep them open. Her strength slowly weakened in the boy's grip as she fought to break free. Milly's efforts ended in vain, the solution which she inhaled slowly taking a toll on her body.

"Greetings, Ms. Ashford," chanted the silver-haired man. He had a foreign accent that accompanied his tone. The strange-looking indivual wore garbs of Asiatic origin with his sleeves pulled slightly, showing a partial but muscular figure. Silver hair flowed freely down to his shoulders, tied in a pony tail. Struggling to remain conscious, her figure slumped in the male teenager's hands and never moved again.

"I don't think Zero will resist the temptation of rescuing an innocent girl such as yourself, hmm?"

"Are you certain this will work?" Rolo asked.

"Of course, after all, who better to fight us than the leader of the Black Knights himself?" Mao sneered. "And I'm certain that Mr. Ashford will pay quite handsomely to get his granddaughter back. Thing is, when we do, she'll be in pieces!"

Milly drifted into unconsciousness as Rolo called in the Vincent and had the Knightmare prop its hand near the open window. Mao climbed aboard as the pair of Geass users whisked away with their prize. By the time the campu's security reacted they were too late. Several guards stopped outside of the doors in front of the dorms and saw a bright flash of light high above. The only thing that could be heard in the distance was the sound of Mao's twisted laughter.

**End of Chapter 34**

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**Author's Notes:** I was thinking back on one of the later season 1 episodes of Code Geass where C.C. comes into physical contact with a few humans, some who can die simply by her touch. I like to think of this chapter as speculation that if she could harm humans in her world, why not ours also? In the end I hope you enjoyed the rescue by her. Please feel free to leave a review ^^.


	43. Chapter 35 Preview

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Rated: T for violence and language **

**Arkeville bargains with Starscream to join in a partnership in overthrowing Megatron's command of the Decepticons. Prowl and company in Africa conduct covert operations in searching for the commander in charge of the European forces.  
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Chapter 34: Surgical Strike **

**Lukas International Main Laboratory  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Everything was set in motion Arkeville intended it to be. The former CIA cybernetics director strode through the passage where a collection of tanks contained various alien specimens from other worlds. All of them served as part of genetic experiments that his team partook, bits and pieces to be added as part of his own personal scheme to overtake the Decepticons and rule them.

The financial backing of his customers provided more than a sufficient powerbase with which to run his operations. But he needed someone to guide his creations. Someone with the vision necessary to help guide their armies to enslave mankind. Arkeville's benefactor couldn't do it alone, so he had to seek out the one being who would have the audacity to betray Megatron:  
Starscream.

On his way to the Seeker's chamber, Arkeville considered the consequences of what he was about to do. Dozens of possibilities ran through his mind that ultimately his plan will backfire. He also knew that progress couldn't be made without taking certain risks. And this risk (if it succeeded) would yield benefits beyond anything that he himself could comprehend.

The American traced his steps and stopped in front of a massive door that led into Starscream's prison. He stopped himself and glanced momentarily at the entrance. Arkeville knew that the warlord does not take treachery lightly, especially one who is not of his kind.

_To hell with Megatron and his ambitions_, Arkeville thought with his fists clenched. Although he remembered Starscream's tendencies for betraying his partners, the American ex-agent knew that he could be easily tempted. Ideally, he never wanted to allow himself to be enslaved by the likes of the Decepticon leader. And he was sure that Starscream shared the exact same sentiments.

Inside of the chamber where the Seeker was held, scientists worked all around under his orders to bring the flyer back on-line. He could see the Cybertronian's body floating helplessly inside the liquid bath where he was suspended. The traitor stepped behind the scientist and made his inquiry. "How fast is he recovering?"

"Well, the damage the Pirahnacons did to him is quite extensive. However, given the state what he sustained during the past few weeks, the Decepticon seems to be recovering at a rapid rate."

"Wake him."

"Sir?"

The former CIA cybernetics director stayed his course. "_Do it_."

"Of course," the scientist answered. A series of beeps chirped from the console, as lights brightened within the chamber moments after. Weakened, Starscream's optics blinked as his he awakened from his regenerative state. His helmet aimed forward, the Seeker stared down upon the human as he always percieved him: a lesser creature who exists to serve the needs of the Decepticons. The irony in that was, he would need the man's help to get him out. Pride prevented him from wanting to consort with a despicable weakling like Arkeville.

"What do you want?" Starscream hissed.

"I need your assistance in a matter that requires a certain level of finesse in which your leader is severely lacking. A partner, if you will."

Starscream attempted to move his limbs, his remaining servos outstretched so he could reach out and crush Arkeville. The sheer arrogance of the human irratated him to no end. Despite his broken body, his will remained strong.

"Fool… To… even think that you could coerce me to join you?"

It was then that Arkeville turned his back on his supposed 'compatriot' and pointed out the air commander's failings. "Your conceited sense of superiority never ceases to amaze me. For more than thousands of years you have dared to wrest power from the likes of Megatron and failed. Time and again you have schemed to wrest power from your leader and in the end it always backfire. How long would it take before you _actually_ go offline?"

The air commander's optics narrowed in . "I'm quite durable, fleshbag."

"Yeah? Well I'm not the one in a tank with Pirahnacons hovering above his."

"I am under the impression that you are seeking something."

"Of course. Like you, I'm interested in the sakuradite which is buried beneath the very earth upon which I stand."

"What could you possibly offer me which I cannot simply take, human?" Starscream hissed again.

"I am offering you a way _out_, Starscream. Whether or not you wish to leave this place and take what is rightfully yours is entirely up to you. You can remain a prisoner here for all I care."

"Then why ask me for help? Surely you have resources which Megatron gives you permission to control in order to do what you intend to do."

"Because amongst all the Decepticons that I have encountered, you are among the most resourceful," Arkeville answered flatly. "If we work together, Megatron will no longer be in control."

Starscream remained silent. He studied his human conspirator through his eyes and sensed the seriousness of his proposal. The question he asked himself was: could he afford to fight against Megatron again and survive?

"I'll need to think about it."

Arkeville nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it would be best if I gave you more time. I will be coming back once your choice is made."

As the former CIA operative finished his words, he simply turned away and exited the chamber. Motionless as he was, Starscream's thoughts drummed inside of his processor. The notion of escape proved to be tempting, but he needed to figure out a way to escape. He had been a prisoner inside of the chamber long enough. One thought surfaced in his mind and as he smiled with an evil grin. _**  
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**Author's Notes: **Didn't want to keep you guys waiting for too long so I figured I'd gave a taste of the things to come.


End file.
